Sugaring Season at Fox Hill Farm

Looking out the window today it's hard to imagine that last weekend was so nice.... today it is snowing and blowing as though it's late fall instead of early spring. Last Sunday we were still making some syrup with the last of the sap and it was a bright and sunny day with mild temperatures. The sap started running late this year due to the fact that winter kept hanging on and on and on. When the sap finally started running, it flowed pretty well over a two week period.

When we were boiling sap down, we did have a few breaks in the weather with beautiful blue skies and friendlier temperatures, and that made it much nicer. We've decided we need to have a building for the syrup-making next year, and a nice evaporator and bottler, too. The process this year was a lot of work, but enjoyable. With a little of the syrup we made some candies; and even though the first batch of candy turned out more like sugar and the second turned out more like taffy, it was still tasty.

Through Dan's photos he gives you a "taste" of making maple syrup here at the farm, from tapping the trees, to boiling the sap to some of the finished products. Enjoy your virtual maple sugaring tour!
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Announcing... new books!

We're very pleased to announce that Dan's newest books have been recently released. They are two poster books published by Voyageur Press. The first one is "The World's Greatest Colts and Fillies Poster Book" and it features 43 photos of foals of various breeds, including Rocky Mountain Horses, Gypsy Vanners, Dales Ponies, Welsh, Norwegian Fjords, etc... The cover photo is the Welsh Mountain Pony colt, Miracle Smoke Signal, at about 3 weeks of age.

The other book is "The World's Greatest Baby Farm Animal Poster Book" and it features piglets, calves, lambs, kids, puppies, bunnies, kittens, etc...it's a really adorable book. Both of these titles are great for young children.

Check out your local bookstore for these fun new titles, or shop online; both books are available through Amazon.com, Barnes and Noble, etc...

Cover Chick!

We're so tickled to have one of our photos appear on the cover of one of our favorite magazines, Hobby Farms! This is the current March/April 2008 issue, just out on the newsstands.

The last time we had the cover of Hobby Farms... it was also a photograph of a chicken. :-) So we're thinking that we're going to keep up with the chicken photography. Pretty fun!

Two new Popular Farming issues-- also just released from the publishers of Hobby Farms magazine-- include Orcharding and Ducks, both of which feature several interior photos by Dan.

Snowy Play Day, Pony (and Cob) Style!

With all of the recent snow lately, it has made for some very picturesque scenery, and extra fun for the ponies. Here are some new photos that Dan took over the weekend, showing 2 year old Sec. A palomino filly, Miracle Lili Maiden playing with her Sec. D Cob mare friend, LBF Linyanti. These two were having BIG fun in the snow!!

Enjoy!

Review in Library Journal

We're very happy to say that Samantha's new book, "The Field Guide to Rabbits" was reviewed in the February issue of Library Journal. The full review can be read at this link: http://www.libraryjournal.com/article/CA6524698.html?industryid=47112 and here is a short excerpt: "Practical and well organized, this concise volume should be essential reading for anyone interested in raising domestic rabbits."

Pony News from Miracle Welsh

We're excited to announce that the WPCSA (Welsh Pony and Cob Society of America) Regional High Score awards have recently been announced. Miracle Lili Maiden, (Mt. Ridge Yellow Jacket x Doncardeb Miss Sunny Ruby) 2006 palomino filly, is the Champion Section A Filly for the North Central Region, and Miracle A Certain Charm (Gallimaufry Jaguar x Severn Buttons 'N Bows) 2005 grey filly now in CA, is the Res. Champion Sec. A Filly for the South West Region. We're delighted that these two Miracle fillies did so well in the show ring in 2007.

In other pony news, we are eagerly awaiting the arrival of our 2008 foals. We are expecting two Section A Welsh Mountain Pony foals. Severn Ribbons 'N Lace (Severn West Wind LOM x Alliance Designer Bow LOM by *Synod Dicky Bow) is expecting a foal by Mt. Ridge Yellow Jacket (*Vardra Secret x *Lippens Queen Bee by Fronbach Canny Lad-- a Synod Hello son). This foal is due in May. In June we are expecting the first foal out of Miracle Maid to Order (Gallimaufry Jaguar x Heritage Hall's the Cat's Meow by Tanglewood Sundance). This foal is also sired by Yellow Jacket.

At the moment, we currently have four Welsh on our sales list... a Section C colt, a Section D mare, a yearling Section A colt, and a Half-Welsh hunter pony prospect. Take a peek at http://www.miraclewelsh.com and click on the sales list to see photos of them.

The Field Guide to Rabbits

We are very pleased to announce that Samantha's newest book, The Field Guide to Rabbits has just been released by Voyageur Press and is now available! Look for it at http://www.voyageurpress.com/ or on Amazon at this link: http://www.amazon.com/Field-Guide-Rabbits-Samantha-Johnson/dp/0760331936/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1200752895&sr=1-3 In addition, Daniel's photographs appear throughout the book.

More book news coming-- check back soon!