Arts & Life
Visiting the inspiration behind Three Pines
By ROBIN SWEETSER
Like many women of a certain age, I am completely enamored of Chief Inspector Armand Gamache, the main character in the Three Pines Mystery Series by Louise Penny.Set in the fictional town of Three Pines Quebec, which is said to be located south of...
Do you know how milk is made?
By CAROLE SOULE
‘What type of cow is that?” asked Jane, a visitor to the farm, pointing to Belle.When I told her Belle is a Milking Short Horn, Jane asked, “And when do you start milking her?” Astonished by the question, I realized that maybe Jane didn’t know why...
HOLLOW HABITATS
By RUTH SMITH
As leaves are shed from broad-leaved trees, details of the forest are revealed. Bird and squirrel nests, and hives of bald-faced hornet all seem to pop into view once the foliage has fallen. Trunks and branches reveal patterns and sometimes holes in...
From the farm: Tenderloin is not the tastiest cut of beef
By CAROLE SOULE
‘I’m cooking dinner for 50. What do you have a lot of?” asked Keith Sarasin. It was the right question, and not one I get very often. That’s a chef who understands how small beef farms work. Keith is a founder of The Farmers Dinner, which serves...
On the Farm: Search for missing newborn calf ends happily
By CAROLE SOULE
The day-old calf had vanished. Yesterday the black-and-white heifer had been up and walking, and her Scottish Highlander mom, Laverne, had been cooing and fussing over her. The next day the calf had disappeared. The strange thing was that Laverne did...
Cattle can be trained to eat weeds
By CAROLE SOULE
The dandelions disappeared as my cattle munched their way across the pasture. They snatched up the yellow flowers, which they seemed to prefer over the tall, green grass. Within hours the dandelions had been all eaten up.Even though our cattle are...
Add a labyrinth garden to your yard
By LEE REICH
A labyrinth garden should not be puzzling – that’s a maze. A labyrinth and a maze were once the same, but the labyrinth has recently grown to become a totally different animal.Enter a labyrinth and every turn you make is the correct one, leading you...
Representing the real life of the chola
By RUSSELL CONTRERAS
A national Hispanic center is displaying a unique art exhibit on the chola – the working class, Mexican-American urban female often associated with gangs.The National Hispanic Cultural Center in Albuquerque opened the “Que Chola Exhibition” last month...
Southwest style brings casual warmth
By MELISSA KOSSLER DUTTON
A desert storm is brewing in the design world. Renewed interest in earthy color palettes, rich textures, tribal patterns and rustic elements has sparked a revival of Southwestern decorating style, long associated with homes in New Mexico and...
Singer-songwriter Hozier stuns with sophomore album
By MARK KENNEDY
For proof that Irish singer-songwriter Hozier has hit the big time, look no further than who he’s singing with these days: Mavis Staples and Booker T. Jones.Their soaring song – “Nina Cried Power” – is a fitting opening to the Grammy-nominated...
Hay feeders can be cow traps
By CAROLE SOULE
Topper’s horns were wedged tight in the metal hay feeder. While reaching for a tasty bit of hay, he pushed his head into the feeder and turned his horns just so. Like a Chinese finger trap, the feeder wouldn’t let him back up. But he didn’t panic; he...
DNA testing for cattle
By CAROLE SOULE
When calves are born at Miles Smith Farm in March and April, it’s obvious who their moms are. They’ll be nursing, protecting and generally fussing over them. But, as sometimes occurs among humans, identifying the father can be harder.Thank goodness we...
Even cows need a nice pampering
By CAROLE SOULE
Kelsie struggled a bit in the squeeze chute as she settled in for her yearly pedicure. With a rope attached below her “dew claws,” we gently lifted her hoof, fastening the line to a bar at the top of the chute so that we could safely trim her long...
Small touches create a great master bathroom
By MELISSA RAYWORTH
It’s easy to design a gorgeous master bathroom if you have a huge budget. But with the right choices, says interior designer Gabriel Anderson, you can have an exceptional master bath without overspending.“Having huge expanses of marble is amazing and...
Silence a rattling headboard with felt pads or tighter bolts
By Jeanne Huber
We are at a loss. Every bed in our house has a headboard, and they all make noise when someone tosses in bed. We tried putting rubber wedges between each bed and headboard connection, but the noise persists. Other than attaching the headboards to the...
Wood ash from fireplaces, stoves can sometimes help the soil
By DEAN FOSDICK
For gardeners who heat their homes in winter using stoves or fireplaces, good-quality wood ashes can be a soil-amendment bonus. But if applied improperly, they can be a caustic topping for foliage-heavy plants and seedlings.The primary benefits of...
Healing hooves
By CAROLE SOULE
Victor hobbled quickly ahead of me on three legs, his right front foot swinging in the air. He had escaped through an open gate. Even on three legs, he moved faster than me, but I had to get him back to continue treating his infected hoof. Victor is a...
Leaf peeping time
By RUTH SMITH
It’s autumn, a time when our attention is drawn to leaves because of the spectacular pallet which their changing colors create on the landscape. In addition to enjoying the various hues from afar, it’s worth taking a closer look at trees because even...
Dollhouse design is thriving thanks to social media
By ALICIA BARNEY
For five months now, Reagan Baker has spent nights after work hanging curtain rods, assembling chandeliers and installing wood floors. She’s not renovating her New York City apartment, but outfitting a miniature dollhouse camper.“Everything is just so...
Learning from mom
By CAROLE SOULE
Brittany’s baby was small. Her white bull calf weighed only 45 pounds (half the weight of most Scottish Highlander calves), but he was walking and nursing within hours of birth. His mom keeps him clean and runs to him when he calls. They are a good...
Your Daily Puzzles
An approachable redesign to a classic. Explore our "hints."
A quick daily flip. Finally, someone cracked the code on digital jigsaw puzzles.
Chess but with chaos: Every day is a unique, wacky board.
Word search but as a strategy game. Clearing the board feels really good.
Align the letters in just the right way to spell a word. And then more words.
