The days are short,
The sun a spark
Hung thin between
The dark and dark...
~John Updike, "January," A Child's Calendar, 1965

The Cat Came Back

This is the slower time of the year around the farm. The animals are being kept warm and fed; the laying hens are comfy in their berm house and starting to lay a few more eggs; and Ivan is enjoying his freedom to wander around the barnyard looking for a handful of oats and a head scratch.

Renovations are continuing in one of the shops, James is servicing trucks and equipment in preparation for the spring, and Konstantijn is diligently calling the guys to band practice every Wednesday. They enjoy the music making, even if they give K a hard time about being a drill sergeant.

So, there's not much excitement on the farm. Except, Stripes came back! He was the cat that liked to travel with James on the ATV.

Remember this story from June 2020?

Stripes, Born to be Wild – Goes to the City

"Hi James. How's it going?"

With a wide grin and excitement in his voice, James replied, "Have you heard what happened to Stripes?"

Stripes, one of James's favorite farm cats, loves motorized transportation. He sits on the ATV just waiting for someone to take it for a jaunt somewhere. He loves to ride around the farm! And James is the one who uses the ATV most often, so I knew there was a story here.

James continued, "I had to take the trailer to the city to get new tires in preparation for taking chickens to be processed.

"It was about 4:00 o'clock when I called the tire shop to see when they closed. They said 4:30 or 5:00, so I knew I had to hustle.

"The trailer was hooked up to the truck already, so I jumped in and took off. Out the gate and down the road, I stopped at the intersection, turned onto the highway, and started to speed up. Fifty, sixty klicks. Looking in the rear-view mirror to check if the trailer was okay, what did I see?!

"There was Stripes hanging on with all his might! Fur flying, nails gripping the trailer bed, terror on his face."

James's eyes grew wide, and he chuckled slightly as he described Stripes in absolute terror trying to hang on as the wind was about to rip him off the trailer.

"I quickly pulled over and walked back to get him. He was so scared I had to just gently pry him loose from the trailer being careful that he didn't scratch me in his anxiety. Holding him gently, I took him to the cab of the truck and put him on the floor.

"The poor guy was so scared he hid under the seat for most of the trip. Eventually, he came out and sat on the seat looking around," James continued, laughing.

I wondered if Stripes would be so quick to take another ride. Looking out the window, I saw him curled up on the seat of the ATV waiting for his next chauffeur. Crazy cat!

Well, shortly after this adventure, Stripes vanished. It's not unusual for farm cats to disappear and you don't see them again. However, concerning Stripes, we thought he may have jumped into a visitor's vehicle and was on an adventure, not to be seen again.

Not so! After two and a half years, Stripes came back.

It reminded me of that old song, The Cat Came Back. It was written in 1893 with lyrics that would probably have you banned from the Internet for life. Since then, there have been numerous iterations that are more child friendly. And it's about a "yaller cat."

Did you know that the European Union bans nearly 1,400 chemicals from personal care products because they are carcinogenic, mutagenic, or toxic to reproduction?

In the United States safety regulations are left to the industries. You know what that means.

There are over 80,000 chemicals on the market today, but many of these chemicals don't have any safety data to back them up. What are their impacts on the body?

What can you do to avoid hormone-disrupting ingredients, lead and heavy metals, carcinogens, and the many harmful chemicals in the products you use every day?

There are clean, healthy options. We've done a lot of research and have found some basic products that work and that we like.

Earthpaste Toothpaste – A refreshingly different toothpaste that is effective and natural. Made with hydrated Redmond Clay, non-GMO xylitol, essential oils, Real Salt, and nano silver. These simple ingredients leave your mouth feeling amazingly clean without any glycerin, fluoride, foaming agents, artificial coloring, or other harmful ingredients.

Brush with Bamboo Toothbrushes – These are the world's first and only plant-based bamboo toothbrushes with 100% biobased bristles in compostable packaging.

FlossPot Silk Dental Floss – FlossPot is a mini mason jar of biodegradable pure silk dental floss. The silk floss is lightly waxed using candelilla for strength and ease of use between tight teeth. Silk is of Nature and returns to nature, taking only 45 days to fully biodegrade, and the pot is refillable. Finally, a zero-waste floss that's good for your gums, your teeth, and the planet.

Carina Organics Shampoo, Conditioner, and Hairspray – Since Carina's inception in 1972, replacing chemical and synthetic ingredients with natural and organic plant extracts, essences, and oils has been central to their focus and philosophy.

A personal "hands-on" approach is taken when selecting and harvesting the proper tree essences, herbs, plants, fruits, flowers and vegetables. Throughout the year, ingredients such as alfalfa, chamomile, echinacea, nettle, red clover, along with a variety of botanical tree essences, are hand selected and harvested from different regions of the Pacific Northwest's forests and farms. With a distinct focus on holistic remedies, purity, craft, and quality, all Carina products are manufactured by hand on the North Shore of Vancouver, British Columbia.

Andalou Naturals Shampoo, Conditioner, and Hair Spray, Shower Gel, Body Lotion, and Deodorant – Every product uses Fruit Stem Cell Science, a super antioxidant defense system, multi-layered and synergistic for ultimate protection.

Andalou Naturals are 98% nature-derived, Non-GMO Project Verified, gluten free, and cruelty free — they never test on animals. Being non-genetically modified means quality, efficacious formulas from nutrient rich ingredients, without the use of pesticides and unnecessary harsh chemicals.

Enjoy these organic, pleasantly fragranced products today for your health.

DOM'S Deodorant – A new generation of natural deodorant – say goodbye to toxins, plastic, and waste with Dom's.

Dom's Deodorant is 100% natural with organic ingredients. It's free from aluminum, parabens, synthetic fragrances, and phthalates.

This natural deodorant comes in 5 scents, including an unscented option. The scented blends incorporate certified organic essential oils, chosen for their antibacterial properties as well as their wonderful fragrances.

Dr. Mist Unscented Deodorant Spray – Dr. Mist embraces an environmental-friendly and hygienic concept. It utilizes just pure water, concentrated salt, and minerals such as those found in the Dead Sea. It has no aluminum, fragrance, artificial colorings, creams, oils, alcohol, and is stain free. Enjoy lasting comfort and freshness with Dr. Mist.

Earth Mama Organics Deodorant – You wanna smell good. And you want to put good stuff in and on your body. Some of you are pregnant and breastfeeding. Some of you have sensitive skin. Some of you are none of those but you want a better deodorant. Something gentle and not just good, but organic — that actually works. This is it!

Use it Up, Wear It Out, Make it Do, or Do Without!

This great slogan was coined by the War Advertising Council during World War II to promote the dual need to conserve scarce resources and to help keep prices down by not generating excess demand.

This is becoming more applicable every day as we see prices for everything rising. It's becoming more important to reuse whatever we can.

Which brings us to glass canning jars, plastic stock containers, and cardboard egg cartons.

We sell a number of products in canning jars, and it would really help us if you could return the jars. We'll refund you $0.75 for these jars WITH the lids.

The products you may have bought packaged in glass canning jars are Sauerkraut, Honey, Cilantro Pesto, Dandelion Root Powder, Jam, and Tallow.

If you have canning jars similar to these, ask us about them and we'll see if they are useful to us.

The plastic stock containers with their lids are becoming more expensive, so we would appreciate the return of these in good condition, as well. Because they are high quality and durable, we are able to sterilize them for other uses.
Clean egg cartons are always useful, too.

We are grateful for the return of these items. It helps us and the environment. Thank you!

Harvest Haven Pastured Beef Short Ribs – The absolute best cut of beef for slow cooking! Ribs are the most tender and succulent fall-apart beef you will ever have. Because they are beautifully marbled with fat, they are more succulent and juicier than other slow cooking cuts of beef.

Organic Monograno Felicetti Tagliatelle Egg Pasta, 500 g – This is a very fine pasta! The description on the box says it all.

"Mountain air of the Dolomites, fresh spring water, pure cereal semolina, and the understanding of the art of pasta-making since 1908 are the four elements that make Monograno Felicetti pasta a true expression of our passion. Those who cook and taste our Monograno pasta range truly understand that we aim to place our products on the palates of those who appreciate the finest quality.

"Our Tagliatelle (egg pasta) are processed with Matt durum wheat which is a special variety found in desert-like climates. The Felicetti Family specifically sources the raw material from exclusive suppliers who cultivate this grain in Puglia, a Southern Italian Region. Our master pasta makers turn this precious grain, combined with the proteins of organic eggs from free-range hens, into a premium pasta. The modern processing methods give the pasta its unique fragrance and full flavor, ideal for all typical Italian specialties."

Organic Green Cabbage – The humble cabbage is an exceptionally healthy food and should be included in more meals. Besides being rich in vitamins and minerals, it contains powerful antioxidants and is especially high in vitamin C, a potent antioxidant.

Cabbage makes a tasty and inexpensive addition to many recipes.

Harvest Haven Shallots – Shallots are a variety of onion, and like garlic, they are formed in clusters of multiple cloves. They have a milder flavor than the common onion.

There's a slight sweetness to the flesh and a mild bite that make shallots ideal for chopping finely and sautéing with butter, slicing into a stew, roasting with an herbed chicken, or deep frying for a crunchy garnish or side dish. Slice up raw shallots into a salad or whisk finely minced with extra virgin olive oil and lemon for a simple salad dressing.

Here's an interesting tidbit: The name "shallot" comes from Ashkelon, an ancient Canaanite city in Israel, where it is believed shallots originated.

Frozen Wild Saskatoon Berries – These wild saskatoons are hand-picked at the peak of ripeness. The sweet, nutty almond-flavored berries are high in fibre, protein, and antioxidants. Sprinkle on your hot or cold cereal, bake in muffins, or make a special dessert. Truly a taste of the prairies.

Organic Bioitalia Sunflower Oil, 750 mL – Another great product from BioItalia. From Southern Italy, the best organic sunflower seeds have been selected to make this excellent product. Use wherever a recipe calls for a mild-flavored oil, such as in cakes, muffins, breads, and mayonnaise.

Please note, all ingredients in our recipes are organic.

Cat Capers

Marseilles has a special gift for sketching animal characters with personalities that you can plainly see after just a few pencil marks. It's amazing watching her quickly give life and a story to these characters.

Here's Marseilles' description of what she did in this video.

These are my characters, named Cookie(the chef), Phatt(the fat cat), Bun(the cat in a bun costume), and Froggy(the one in a frog costume).

What's basically going on is: Cookie made a bunch of food for Phatt, and he managed to eat it all in a few seconds.

Bun is just walking around, doing her own thing.

Froggy, however, is pretty scared of grumpy Cookie.

Mathijs did a great job of filming and publishing this video.

Reviewing the various articles for this Harvest Haven Happenings, I realized that it started with Stripes, the cat and ended with Marseilles' drawings of cats. It wasn't planned.