Good Weekend

[singerinthedark]

Drove up to Yreka, CA on Wednesday with my Dad and siblings. Mom had an unchangeable flight out to Chicago for work on Friday, and so could not have Thanksgiving with us for the first time, well, ever. It was sad.

Thursday - Saturday Morning was mostly spent at my aunt and uncle's cattle ranch. They have an amazing small set-up. Their cows are natural - they are grass fed, have lots of room to roam, are well-taken care of, and only get antibiotics when the cows are sick, not as a preventative measure. It was neat to hear all of my uncle's stories about why he started the ranch, how he runs it, why he is a natural farmer vs. an organic farmer, and about things that have happened to him as he learned the trade.

Friday we went out to some forest land that a friend of my uncle owns to cut Christmas trees. It's kept mostly pristine, though parts of it are harvested for lumber in a (7-year?) cycle to pay for land tax and such. We cut trees, sat around a bonfire, talked, ate minestrone soup, and generally spent most of the daylight hours in the prettiest country-side you ever could have seen. Did I mention it was cold? Yeah, it was 65 degrees in the sun - maybe. Probably more like 50 degrees, which was warm compared to the evening's 15 degrees. I have a dead tree that will probably make it to my apartment sometime this week. Yea tree!

Got home late Saturday night.

Today I have (Inhales):
Finished a novel
Cleaned my room (including placing clean sheets on the bed)
Cleaned the bathroom
Cleaned the kitchen
Dusted
Taken out the trash/recycling
Installed three software programs on my computer
Balanced my checkbook
Returned my library books
Got gas
Got Dad's Christmas present
Used my "frequent reader" discount at Bay Books towards new brain-candy
Got groceries
Tried to get the components for a reward box for my classroom. Was repeatedly thwarted by my late leaving-time.
Cooked simple dinner.
Left the kitchen clean and clear of dirty dishes.

Before bed I will:
Write the lesson plan for tomorrow
Frame out the lesson plan for my EL lesson
Sort out the student work that needs grading
Pack a lunch for tomorrow
Pack the things I will need for tomorrow
Write tomorrow's to-do list
Set the alarm
Sleep before midnight (hopefully)


I'd say I got 90% of the things that I wanted to get done this weekend finished. Considering the fact that I always overestimate my capabilities and underestimate the amount of time needed to finish something, that's pretty darn good.

Hope your weekend was as productive or relaxing as you needed it to be. :)

Comments

[(Anonymous)]

I know I can look this up...

but could you note the difference between "natural" and "organic". Or at least how your uncle sees it?

And any related websites, s'ils vous plait.

[temperance14.livejournal.com]

I will remember to log in
I will remember to log in
I will remember to log in

[battymaiden.livejournal.com]

Organic is regulated. The cows must be fed organic feed. Their grassy areas can't be fertilized with almost any fertilizer. No antibiotics or vaccinations. Cows are allowed to roam a pen.

Natural: The cows eat what grass there is out there. The cows are free to roam large pens. During the cold winter months this is supplemented with hay (not organic). Calves can be vaccinated (and apparently it's necessary to vaccinate for certain things in Yreka). Antibiotics only if a cow gets sick. Corn-feed, never.

I guess the gist is that natural is near-organic. It's organic for the non-fanatical. There's a great book, The Omnivore's Dilemma that has a different definition of natural by another cattle farmer. However, since it's not a term that has been regulated with the FDA, I doubt there's a good single definition for "natural" farming or ranching.

[masterfiddler.livejournal.com]

Guildmistress would be curious to know who you know up in the Yreka area, since she grew up in that area. :-)

[battymaiden.livejournal.com]

I think when I talked to her last, we had determined that my uncle might be the man who took over the dental practice of a family friend, or her dad's, or he refers a lot of work to one of the two... Really I have no brain power right now so I can't remember which.

Outside of my Uncle and his family, I really don't know a lot of people up in Yreka. I so rarely have visited them at their ranch (seriously, 3-4 times in my whole life, which isn't much considering how close I am to my extended family.)