BRAYS OF OUR LIVES

Happy leap day! (That's B.G.'s daughter Briony Bluebell, in case you'd forgotten . . . and yes, her legs are better now. She lives with a family on South Whidbey Island.)

FarmWife is torn about the second best thing in the world, after the friendship of a good mule: is it the great outdoors, or is it cuddling a warm chihuahua? Option A: Option B: The wonderful thing about this dilemma is this: FarmWife can enjoy the great outdoors, the friendship of a good mule, and cuddling a warm chihuahua—simultaneously! Ah. Life is good. FenBar

We had a splendiferously springy day yesterday, despite waking up to a blanket of snow. My raggedy old hens have been inspired to start laying eggs again, my mama goat is developing an udder despite having been at least 5 miles away from the nearest buck all fall and winter, and I am dropping hairs like nobody's business. We celebrated by taking the first serious hike of 2012—me on hoof, FarmWife on foot, and my oldest human filly (age 12) on muleback. We went up Lyman Hill and down the electric line to the scenic vista, where we were met with a marvelous sky dotted with blue. We came down Lyman hill and up Wickersham Street just in time to beat the snow, which fell half-heartedly for just long enough to make us glad to be home. I am proud to say that I was less winded than FarmWife during the climb, which just goes to show that the size of a mule's tummy means nothing next to the size of his capacious heart. Ears, FenBar

A little bit of weekend fun for you: match the breed/species to the body part! A. Googly eyes B. Huge ass C. Sparse tail D. Gigantamundo forelock E. Roman nose F. Dinner-plate hooves G. Tremendous ears 1. Shire 2. Friesian 3. Appaloosa 4. Donkey 5. Arabian 6. Quarter horse 7. Lusitano

Bad news. I had a fantabulous idea: "FarmWife, take me in a parade! Dye my hoofies green! Dress me up in a thousand gold coins! I will be the treasure at the end of the Saint Patrick's Day rainbow, and every Bellinghamster will revel in my splendiferous mulishousness!" She knocked it down flat: "FenBar, I love you with all my heart. You know I do. You are a perfect mule for Bent Barrow Farm, but you are no sort of mule for a parade. You cannot go into the town in a thousand gold coins when a sheep makes you do this: And when a ruffed grouse makes you do this: And when a motorbike makes you do this: It simply would not be safe, my darling. I am thinking of your safety." I told her, "I will learn not to wheel about and gallop home when I see a motorbike. You will see." FarmWife said, "I believe you, Fenway. We will teach an old mule new tricks." Ears, FenBar

I was thinking about why I write, or about what I like about writing, more specifically, and I realized it's like making friends. It connects me to like-minded people. To people who are crazy about animals; who understand dry humor; who see the point in fending for one's self, yet indulge in the conveniences of the modern world; who grieve when a chicken dies; who love their dogs like children; who sweep up dust bison instead of dust bunnies; whose outbuildings are made of salvaged material. It connects me to people who live in the city but yearn for the country, or people who live in the boondocks and yearn for a town like Acme, or people who live right where they want to live but who find me interesting, and want to hear what I have to say. It is as much as an inlet as an outlet. It brings readers into my world, and I love them as friends. Blogging has prepared me for writing my book, because it has shown me that I do have an audience, and that it's made up of people like...

Are any of you interested in the agriculture/gardening/local food scene in the Northwestern Washington State? Do any of you get your carrots, hay, or mules from small farmers, or do any of you want to learn more about growing carrots, hay, or mules of your own? You might know that FarmWife writes for Grow Northwest Magazine, a family-owned publication out of Whatcom County. I'm going to take the liberty of sharing a fundraising letter from the editor, as I think their mission is an important one: " Dear readers, supporters and community members,   Thank you for your support and interest in Grow Northwest magazine! Grow Northwest is going monthly in March and we are raising funds through Kickstarter to support the magazine. We are an independent, family-owned publication, but operate much like a non-profit — we have a bare bones budget and strive to be a community resource. We are hoping you can help us spread the word about our fundraiser as we try to raise $10,000 t...