Battening Down the Hatches

It's a very busy time of year around here. The race is on to get things done before the weather turns cold. We've spent the past three beautiful days getting fall chores done. Friday the kid and I did a major clean out of the chicken coop. You just wouldn't believe how the cob webs accumulate in there, then the dust falls on them and it's like a scene from a bad horror movie. The chickies love it when they get new bedding in the coop although they find it annoying that their egg laying has to be interrupted in order to do so. I just know all that clucking was telling us to hurry up.

Saturday was a million little chores like cleaning the mud room, harvesting a few veggies, some cooking and baking and getting a load of straw tucked away in the barn. Found yet another source for hay so I'm trying to let my paranoia of not having enough go. It's hard being a first-time shepherd, everything makes you paranoid. I know the girls are tired of me poking and prodding on them to check and see if they're fat enough. I don't think Sophia is fat enough. Although I don't know how long it should take them to recover from having lambs in the spring. Maybe she's normal? Or maybe I should be giving her an extra boost of grain? See, it's hard. When you have newborns the doctor tells you when to start them on cereal or whatever. With sheep, nobody tells you.

Later that day, the Engineer built a new window to replace the old one on the East side of the coop. The old one was one we had found in the barn and tried to recycle, unfortunately after one year of use it was literally falling apart. Willa's first puppy training session rounded out the evening. Some folks don't bother to train their livestock guardian dogs. They don't need any training to learn how to protect their flock. They do that by instinct. But she's going to be an ENORMOUS dog and if we don't teach her not to jump on people she'll flatten little ol' me like a pancake. I could do the training without going to class, but we also need to get her used to getting in and out of the vehicle. She'll need to go to the vet occasionally and I sure as heck won't be able to lift her hiney up in there.

Greener pastures was the goal for today. Willa apparently wants to grow up and be an archeologist. She found something sticking out of the old burn pile we thought we had buried. She pulled on it and one thing led to another until there was a crater the size of meteor. So everybody moved to a new pasture today. I was afraid of what might lurk toward the bottom of that pile so the Engineer built a sieve and sifted through 100 years of garbage. You wouldn't believe the crud that was in there. At some point there must have been a tragic porcelain doll incident, there was the head of a garden rake, a Victorian hinge, some chain -- a little bit of everything. While he was busy with that I raked and seeded the perimeter of the pasture where there had been a lot of browse growing earlier in the year. The sheep did their job of clearing it very, very well. Tomorrow I'll over-seed the whole pasture with a good pasture mix to try to boost the nutrient content. Did you know September is the best time of year to plant seed?

I'll Never Forget

My internet connection has been down all day and that's okay. My television hasn't been turned on either. I don't need all the media to remind me what happened. That video clip from eight years ago is permanently etched in my brain. That day changed my life.

We lived in the city. I worked as a telecommunications consultant and was driving to see an important client. The engineer was packing his bag and heading to the airport...he had another meeting scheduled in one of the towers having just been there days before. Once I finally comprehended what was happening on the radio I turned around and went home. We, like everyone else, sat glued to the television--for days. Our lives forever changed.

I don't need television or the internet to remind me. I will never, ever forget.

My Kingdom for Some Hens

It's that time of year. Time to reflect on this season of breeding and plan the next. Let's review shall we?

First, we had Polly and her babies, JB and Jasmine. One boy, one girl. Both with muffs and clean slate legs. Perfect. Exactly what I was looking for. Didn't really need another roo, but figured I could make it work somehow.


Then, there was the great incubator disaster. One lonely chick hatched Easter weekend, after we'd given up on the batch. We named him Lazarus. This brings our total to two boys, one girl. And the poor bugger doesn't have any of the qualities I'm looking for. Not one. He's already gone to his new home.

Of course, we couldn't just have one lonely chick. Nope, we had to go out and get it some friends. Six little friends, in fact. Sir Sparky D'Uccle, his wife, Madam Mille D'Uccle, her maid servant, Twiggy, the Seabright brothers, and Cornelius. Bringing our total to six boys and three girls. The Seabright brothers and Cornelius have all found new homes.

Then there was Minnie and her babies. Please note the comb and wattles on the one on the left. Yep, he's a he. Seven boys, four girls. He's looking for a new home. She's staying even though she has a few errant feathers on her feet, she just won't be allowed to breed.


And finally, there's Wacky Wilma and her babies. Roosters, both of them. They're also looking for new homes. That makes nine boys and four girls.

All of them are very sweet, but lets remember why I have bantams to begin with...they were Dad's chickens. The only reason I'm allowing them to breed is for sentimental reasons. They don't provide gads of eggs, and even when they do lay eggs they're way too small to sell, so they really are just a novelty on the farm - pretty decorations in the barn lot. Decorations that have to be fed and watered and cared for.

So after all the work, and all the trouble, out of the four girls only one, Jasmine, has the qualities I was looking for. Well, and even that's not true. I already have plenty of black hens and really needed any other color. *sigh*

One Man's Trash...

Labor Day weekend came and went and can you believe I didn't take a single photo the entire time? I'm not sure I can blog without photos. I wonder if it will allow me to post without a photo? You see, I was too stinkin' busy to be messing around with my camera.

Every year the itty-bitty town we live near throws a HUGE festival and every homeowner for miles around has a yard sale. I've decided to put myself on a every-other-year schedule for the sales. One year I go to them and one year I have my own. This was the year for me to have one. So all last week I peered into the nooks and crannies of our humble abode and drug out all sorts of things that hadn't seen the light of day in many moons.

We moved into this house three years ago. I decided anything that hadn't been put to good use in those three years was gonzo. I really didn't think there would be all that much. It never seems like all that much...until you start to put it in a pile. Then the pile just continues to grow and grow and you're amazed at how much "stuff" you could easily live without. I'm embarrased to admit I completely filled my dining room. Yes, an entire room folks.

So we drug all of it out on the lawn early Saturday morning and spent the rest of the weekend studying human behavior. Because if there were ever a time to enjoy people watching it would be at a garage sale. Living proof that it takes all kinds to keep this planet spinning. Have you ever noticed that the one thing you considered just tossing in the trash is always the first thing that sells? Why do you suppose that is?

All in all I'd say it was a successful event. I was able to enjoy visiting with the neighbors and made a few bucks in the process. The best part though was getting rid of all those material things we don't really need and putting them into the hands of someone who does. A lot of the crap left over was pawned off on, er I mean the priceless family heirlooms were passed down to, my daughter and her fiance. You gotta love the young, broke college student types.

Hook, Line & Sinker

Oh sure. Go ahead. Try to resist. I dare you.

You know you want to pet me.

I'm irresistible.

And I know how to work it.

Love. This. Dog.

Willamina and I have been to the vet. She was poked and prodded and had her boobs smashed in a big machine. Oh wait, no that was me. Well, she was poked and prodded anyway. And she was WONDERFUL throughout the whole experience.

She's now had all her puppy shots, except one last booster and has a microchip. The first day she was here she laid down in a hollow to take a nap. I couldn't find her and nearly had a heart attack, I thought she was gone. After that the microchip seemed like a very good idea. Great Pyrenees are known to want to claim whatever territory they can see. Eventually our four foot fence could be nothing but a small hurdle for her. I want make sure we have a chance at getting her back if she decides to claim the wild west.

The Golden Girls aren't particularly thrilled with her presence yet. I don't think they understand that she's here to protect them. It's pretty funny to watch the girls stomp their hooves in an attempt to warn Willa off. I'm sure they think they're all mean and scary looking when they do that. If they were more than two foot tall it might work. But given they're just little Shetlands, yeah, not so scary. Willa just looks at them with a puzzled look as if she's thinking "Whatever."

She is showing great guardian instincts already even though she's still a baby. A 36 pound baby, but a baby none the less. She whines a little bit at bedtime, but I would too if I was taken from my litter mate and stuck with a bunch of freaky-looking, foot-stomping sheep that don't seem to like me very much.

Another New Farm Addition

After some intense hostage negotiations with the UPS man, I finally was able to receive Mildred into our humble abode today. I love everything about her. Born on June 03 in Boulder Colorado, she is a Cherry 40th Anniversary Edition Schacht Matchless spinning wheel. I can just tell she and I are going to become great friends. We have so much in common. We're even celebrating the same anniversary. ;)