We fall down, we get up......

Well, we do. Or at least we always have so far. But not if you are a leaf. And the leaves are falling. Down, for the most part. Except for the occasional passing corn leaf. The windy days of late have heralded the coming of the harvest season now in full swing. The corn stalks that seemed to turn white over night this year have shed their leaves, and now stand naked except for the sagging heavy ears, shivering in the foggy chill or the morning. The leaves blanket the ground now. Except for now and then in the afternoon breeze, when, dried by the weakening sun, a current picks a stray leaf and hurls it toward an unknown foe. I see them pass my window, sometimes arrow straight, sometimes curling and whirling, tumbling in the driving wind. And later I retrieve them from the shrubs and fence, limp and heavy with dew once again come morning. And time marks off yet another day, and week, and month.


We have begun the preparations. The garden is done, the harvest sorted, stacked, and stored. A good size stack of wood now darkens part of the view out my window. Chimney checked? Check. The wagon is filled with corn, and the hay bales stand in covered rows like giant sausages.
I looked up this morning, and it was October. 16th. (sigh). The almost-too-warm days are over. The 'F' word has been heard in the forecast. (freeze). But that's ok. I guess. The second blanket was pulled up without hesitation last night, and savored.

Don even took some 'vacation'. Yeah sure. Last year we actually went somewhere. This year, it was back to a working vacation. But we did get some things done, including renting a bobcat, and an attempt to clean the barn. It was only partially successful, but whats done is done. Since the grass is still growing and the crops in the field, the excavations got piled for the time being.



The lambs had a great time playing atop 'Mt. Sheepoopee' while it was there. But it was clear it was not going to last, so it got moved to the other pile. Sorry, lambs.
The whole mess will hopefully be spread on the garden, pasture, and fields before winter really sets in. (Sorry about the evil eyes. I'm blaming the lighting.)

Meanwhile, the sure sign of the season have been spotted. My mate and partner is usually quiet, often dozing in his chair. Recently however, he has been overtaken by spurts of thoughts and inspirations. His clipboard is at hand, and often I notice him flipping between pages, and making notes in margins. Why? You may wonder, as did I.

Of course - its breeding season. And one mark of a true shepherd is the careful selection of pairings of the flock. The amateur little realizes the complexity of the task. There is much to consider. Body type, condition, color, lineage, fleece and more. There must be planning before procreation.




And the sun sets sooooo much earlier these days. But its still kind of nice watching it.





And the last rose of summer literally blooms by the back gate.

But all is well. The promises of spring are hidden in the muffled shuffle of leaves underfoot, but if you pause and listen, you can hear them. The thoughts of a warm fire and wool sweaters, the gentle click of knitting needles and snow falling on yet green grass may materialize sooner than we think. But bring it on. Seasons change, and so must we. I'm up for a long winters nap. Meanwhile, I can still smell the roses.

And if by chance like the leaves we fall, we'll help each other up.

I guess 8 is enough

Well the lambing season is starting to wind down. Waiting for #50 to arrive, with mostly just the Ewe lambs left to go. We are pleased with the crop, especially the number of black lambs. I was hoping for at least one or 2 colored, and at least one ewe lamb, and we ended up with 4 ewes and 4 bucks. Only slightly disappointed that the mutant had a black buck, and the Coopworth a buck also, and snow white. Interesting that we had to pull both, as they have very large heads. Maybe a Coopworth trait? Everyone says the black ones are very cute though. Evening chores are made more enjoyable now that the lambs are old enough they have started playing sheep games. While their mothers are chowing down at the bunk, they run and jump like kids in the schoolyard let out for recess. With floppy ears and long stiff legs, they resemble a herd of rabbits circling the pen. Or maybe a woolly flock of birds. Must try to get it on video, but its difficult when they are camera shy, and easily distracted.

Don is back at work. At least we got some things done. Garden now is partially planted, and has 3 new raised beds. One is waiting for strawberry plants, which are ordered, as are the sweet potatoes. Yard is mostly cleaned up, and the porches had an annual washing. Now the painting business is picking up again, so my loyalties to projects are being tested.

Looks like I will be teaching needle felt classes at the Fiber Fair in Mitchell in Sept. Thats what you get when you ask questions. But we were wanting to go anyway, and now we have good reason. Hoping its a good venue for new people and market.

Now if I could just get this blog figured out - how to get the pics to go where I want them!