We're Still Here

Really we are. Though you couldn't tell it by the date of the last blog eh?

I could bore you and ramble on about this, that and all the other that has happened around our little peace of heaven called the farm though I won't. It's just life happening and sometimes it gets in the way of and can stop my blogging all together.

Spring is just 6 days away. I will do my best to add more frequent updates, posts or add new information. I noticed I lost a few followers which I totally understand and can't blame them for dropping us off their lists. I do want to thank those of you who continue to stop by and read.

Doing the "happy can't wait for spring" dance here! You couldn't tell spring is so close at the moment. Yesterday's weather was rain, snow, sleet, repeat that process, plus freezing. Crazy that just 2 days prior it was almost 70 degrees.

Looking forward to planting the gardens, the piglets arriving, shearing, our yearly fiber events and so, so much more! Hopefully so much to share with you in the upcoming months.

We have finished kidding for 2011. Barb our La Mancha dairy goat kidded with 2 beautiful white doelings, we named Belle & Star. Barb is back on the milk stand and milking like a charm. This makes me so happy! Once again farm fresh dairy products for our table!

Star a few minutes after being cleaned.

For the Angoras, Bella Mia began by blessing us with a set of beautiful black twins. One of each, buck & doe. Little buck(soon to be wether) is Butch, doeling is Cassidy. Fairchild followed with a single jet black beautiful doeling we call Calamity Jane. Bonnie Lass ended 2011 kidding by adding 2 more adorable solid black doelings. We are calling those two girls Annie & Oakley.

Imagine you are seeing a trend in the names. This year our black Angora herd sire, The Sundance Kid, did his job and did it very well. We wanted color and color was what we got! Five solid black fiber babies, 4 does, 1 buck.

Bella Mia cleaning little Butch

Calamity Jane with her mom Fairchild.

Bonnie Lass and her twin girls soaking up the sun.

Scarlet, one of our hair sheep began 2011 lambing with a set of twins. One of each, ram & ewe lamb. The ram lamb is reserved, the ewe lamb we are keeping. We named her Miranda (the sheep are not included in the Women of the Wild West name theme).

The little ram lamb has the brown patch on face, Miranda the smaller of the two.

On baby watch with possibly 5 ewes to lamb within the next 4-6 weeks. Waiting to lamb and broad as barns are Pitty Pat & Eartha (hair sheep). Then the Shetlands-Whirlwind, Rummy and Lark. They are filling out, if not pregnant I suppose they are just looking large due to having full heavy fleeces. Will just have to wait and see.

We used both rams this year. Jackdaw with his awesome spots and Jasper with his beautiful black and silver fleece, hopefully they will give us patterns and spots. Looking forward to seeing what colors our lambs will bring.

The chickens began to lay about 2 weeks ago. YEAH! It was a long eggless winter. I dislike buying those pale, tasteless eggs from the grocery. I also dislike feeding the layers all winter long and they not produce. We are researching breeds that are good winter layers and will be adding a few to the flock this spring.

For the best farm news yet... I have found a spinner to spin our very own farm grown wool into yarn! Happy, happy, joy, joy! I had originally planned to invest in a new wheel and take spinning lessons. In our neck of the woods finding someone to instruct me in the proper ways of spinning is like looking for a needle in a hay stack. So finding someone to spin and not want my first born grandchild in exchange was amazing! I have been busy washing and carding fleeces to send to my dear spinner.

Family matters have brought about some surprise changes. My dear brother the PhD, accepted a senior faculty teaching position at the University of West of Scotland. Yep, he is moving to Scotland. A once in a lifetime opportunity and dream job. My parents are looking forward to and hope to go to Scotland to stay with him for an extended period of time. I hope they can, at 80 yrs. old this would be a dream come true for them also.

My niece accepted a promotion within her company, which required her to move to Nashville, TN in January. My nephew (her brother) just announced that his wife accepted a promotion with her company and they are moving them to...who would have guessed it...Nashville, TN. I am happy for the kids though will miss them.

I think I have hit the highlights, the other happenings are just everyday, run of the mill, it's probably happened to you too, kind of stuff.

Hope to add more fiber and sheep related items, possibly list the livestock we will have for sale in an attempt to keep more frequent updates coming to the blog.

Until then, hope everyone on your end is healthy & happy. And I hope you have a great rest of the day!

Happy 2011 To You

A little late in wishing everyone a Happy New Year, eh? Better 4 days late than never I say. I do sincerely hope everyone had a very Merry Christmas and Happy, Happy New Year. We did.

Life has been busy good here at the farm. We had lots of visits from family and friends. Spent the holidays with my parents, though mainly stayed home enjoying the peace, quiet and our animals.

I really enjoyed not having to travel this year, having small groups of family filter in and out over the month of December and the quiet little holidays at home. The only snags to our perfect holiday season was a trip to the emergency room on Christmas morning and a bruised buttock and tail bone 2 days after Christmas.

On Christmas morning Jim woke in severe pain. His arm and elbow extremely swollen and hot to the touch. He couldn't tolerate the pain so dear son took him to the ER while I stayed home preparing Christmas dinner for the family that was to spend Christmas day at the farm. Six (6) hours later, the guys were home. Only about an hour later than we had planned to have Christmas dinner. Turns out Jim had his first attack of bursitis. Hopefully he will not have another. Is this a signal we are getting old LOL

Dad was feeling well enough to play Santa for a few of the local organizations in December. My great niece went along as Santa's helper.

My youngest nephew from Texas came for a farm visit and helped me with the chores.

My brother came for a weekend. That's 3 generations of my guys in that photo.

We have a new addition to the family. My son's girlfriend. Hope she stays for a long time. I really like this one :-)

As for the bruised buttock and tail bone, well that is the reason I have not been on to wish you a Happy New Year before now. Rather hard to sit comfortably. We had a small bit of ice and snow at Christmas. Really nothing major. I have trudged through so much worse, many many times to do the daily chores. This year I suppose I am not so sure footed as I have been in the past. While pushing a wheel barrow of hay down a small incline to the sheep pen, I lost my footing and fell hard with my rear landing first, then my back, head hitting last. It hurt so bad it scared me. It took me a moment or two or three to gather my wits about me. Thankfully I could move and I didn't break anything.

You know what is really amazing is how things are connected...try to lift anything over 5 lbs. you feel it in your bruised tuckus. Bend over to pick something up off the floor you feel it in your bruised tuckus. You take those muscles for granted.

It's slow and steady for now. They say I should be 100% 3 or 4 days. So for now I am off to the sofa to surround those muscles in ice packs and maybe a nap. Til next time have a great rest of the day.