Speaking of Hawks...

That's right. Hawks eat chickens. They love chickens. They're easy prey. If you're one to keep your eyes to the sky and bird watch (legitimately), then you know about Hawks being out and on the move!

How do we prevent chicken theft via birds of prey?

CHICKEN WIRE!

Martha, Mia and I have been busy trying to contain chickens, separate chickens, feed chickens, entertain chickens, catch chickens, protect chickens and just about every other activity known to man involving chickens. It's always a process of being one step ahead, so hopefully our latest efforts (pictured below) will suffice!

Here's our chicken pen with the new safety measure installed.

When One Yurt Isn't Enough...

Get another one!

We're getting another yurt from our friends at Blue Ridge Yurts! The new yurt will be a 16' yurt, so a little more than half the size of the current yurt we are running as a Bn'B. We're planning on using the smaller yurt as a rental geared more toward a camping atmosphere then anything else. As of right now we're imagining hikers from the Appalachian Trail, or families in need of a camp site being able to find running water, compostable toilets, and shelter inside the new yurt with fire close by. However, we are also aware that the ideal simplicity of the new yurt may very well be turned in to a full on cabin type endeavor much like the larger yurt. The best part about yurts are how endless the possibilities are!

Check out the yurt! We'll be picking it up toward the end of March/early April. We already have a spot cleared. Stay tuned for all the new things happening!

Prepare for Hyperlight Jump

I have news. Potentially the best news regarding our ability to communicate ever. Cair Paravel has now officially joined the 21st century. We have high speed internet! We've waited a long time for this! Due to our location, we haven't had access to any reasonably high speed internet so we have been having to do without. But not anymore!

Mother Nature's Diagnosis: Schizophrenia

It's not uncommon this time of year for the mid-atlantic region to experience odd weather patterns. For instance: January 2004 had two consecutive days in the 90s - MLK weekend 2008 and 2010 had two consecutive days in the mid 70s - et cetera.



BUT NOT WEEKS OF 76 DEGREES AND SUNNY IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWED BY THIS:


In all honesty, I know it sounds like I'm complaining about the current fluctuation of the weather conditions outside, however my observations are not meant to come us across as such. I'm merely impressed with how rapidly things can change. I'm also glad I didn't go through the trouble of finding all of my shorts that have been packed away for quite a while. I probably won't need them until next week.

New Chickens!

Hello to everyone!

We have new chickens! Thanks to the Sillimans and Sweet Dog Farm for selling them to us! We now have 6 hens and 1 rooster of the "Americana" type. We're excited to have the new breed and are especially excited to get our first batch of eggs from these little chicks. Americana Chickens lay eggs of different colors; blue, brown, yellow, and orange-ish (I believe). We'll soon find out for sure. The new birds are going on 5 mos old, so we need to keep them separate from our more mature birds or else they will get the crap kicked out of them. The smaller the bird, the lower in the pecking order. That's just how it goes. So for the safety of our new feathered friends we have created an outside area and indoor shelter just for them. The new separate area will be great come hatching season so the new additions to our laying/meat providing family can grow to be adults w/o being bullied.

She almost looks like a hawk!

Happy Valentine's Day!

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY from Cair Paravel!!!!

Spring Is Closing In!

Our goose Mary has laid the first eggs of 2011!

Lillian and I noticed earlier today that Mary (one of our hens) was missing. The search began! Lillian ended up finding her in the goat house in the barn nestled into the straw bedding. Goes to show no matter how many areas we give them to nest, they end up picking their own! One egg was sitting in the nest untouched and I uncovered two more nearby. Geese are tricky and cover their eggs when they leave the nest, so it's hard to tell if any eggs are actually there. I'll be doing a complete egg sweep in the morning to see if any of the other hens have been laying at all. It's fitting that today be the day the first eggs are laid as Martha has been fervently getting all of this years seeds started for the garden so we're ready come spring. You snooze, you loose! So come on Spring! Let's get warm already!

Yurt For Rent!

Hello all!

It's gorgeous up on Pocosan Mtn today. We haven't seen clear skies in what feels like months. The sun is shining, the snow is melting, and we can see blue skies for miles! With today's spring-anticipation-inducing weather it's the perfect opportunity to spread the news about the Yurt we've built! As of the first of this year our Yurt has been fully functioning as a bed and breakfast. Stay the weekend, stay a week, or even stay a month or two if you need it! Check out the pictures below to see the before and afters of the project!

We raised the Yurt in one day with a lot of help from our friends and family back in April of 2010. The structure is 30' in diameter, and 18' high at the center with approx. 1,200sq. ft. of living space. The inner walls are comprised of wooden lattice stretched between two doors (the front door and back door) with steel cable woven through the top of the lattice for support.

Mia, Whitt, and Mary showing off the new walls!

The roof is then attached to the steel cable by way of slots in the end of the ceiling beams. A torsion ring in the center of the ceiling connects to the beams providing the downward force that keeps the Yurt all together.

Tristan and Sam using some elbow grease to keep it steady!

Sliding the cable into the slot on the beam.

The outer shell is three layers: inner cloth lining, high efficiency insulation, and a strong coated fabric outer shell which provides protection from the elements for 30years.

The first layer getting fitted.

After the outer structure is complete, the inside is a completely blank slate. Whitt and Martha could do whatever they wanted as far as design, commodities, rooms, etc. They quickly worked wonders and came up with the design scheme which can be seen in the finished product. With tools in hand Whitt headed the build (essentially doing all of the work himself with our help when two hands weren't enough). Construction of the Yurt was officially complete in November of 2010. See the pictures below for a tour!

Plenty of parking next to the fire pit! And yes! The Yurt is handicap accessible!

Just inside the front door to the right: living room. The bedroom can be closed off from the living area if chosen.

Just inside the front door to the left: kitchen and dining area as well as the stairs up to the loft.

A look straight up and out the sky light!

A closer view of the bedroom.

A closer view of the FULL kitchen (dishwasher included!).

A view down the hall and out the back door.

Down the hall to the right: second entrance to the bedroom.

Down the hall to the left (across from bedroom door): Full bathroom!

The loft.

The view from the loft!

Propane powered for safety and warmth!

Tsuki & Oskar enjoying there first and ONLY chance to relax in the Yurt! No dogs allowed, but since they helped so much with the build, we gave them a freebie.

For more information on renting the Yurt, check out AirBnB! All of the reservations can be taken care of via the website. Select Virginia: Charlottesville Area and it should pop up, OR search for Blue Ridge Mountain Yurt in the search bar. And remember you can always contact myself, Whitt, Martha, Mia or any of us to reserve your stay as well!

-Brendan