Sorting and 'turn out' day, Oct 24, 2014

Well, after a hectic summer of constant activity, fall came. And here it is, that eventful day in October.

It started out with a lovely sunrise.

But its Oct 24. A nice round number, and marked on the calendar as 'Turn the Bucks out' day.

So Don set up the sorting  chute - for the first time. It has been here awhile, but being not sure where to set it up, it remained leaving against the shed. This year, he decided there had to be a better way to sort all those ewes than catching them all by hand.

So it got a trial run in a temporary location. And it worked. The girls even walked right through to the gate. 

Here it is in use. The metal structure just beyond the black ewe is the actual sorting gate. The panels on each side swing to the center, leaving a path for the sheep to go straight forward, to the left, or to the right. The addition of the wood panel just past adds a fourth destination. Which means by simply adjusting the gate positions, each ewe is directed to one of four pens.

 Ewe numbers were already sorted into breeding pens, thank heavens. The girls filed in without much fuss.

And after lunch, each pen got moved to more comfortable accommodations.

And the boys came out.

 Grandpa got his group in the lambing shed.

Sonny and his girls.  (well, this is with the 3 that were interested in him today. There are many more.)

Jean Claude was assigned to the group in the East lot.

And 140 has a group too.

So it all worked well. And all the rams are already at work. A total of 90 ewes will begin having lambs come next March. (usually the first is born on March 19th, regardless of the day the rams go out).

And I managed to get a blog post done. Finally.

I have so many subjects, and so little time. Maybe the colder weather will help settle me in at the computer. Maybe.

# makin' lambies.  Go Rams.   Thanks to Alex for the 'trade'.

Flock to the Farm, 2014

Last weekend was the 2nd Annual Flock to the Farm. We called. They came. They Flocked. Fiber and fun.

Spinners came, and shopped for fleece in the shop.

Charts and samples of wool grades and breeds helped sort out facts.

 Longer is not always better they learned.


And, the question of the day, "what does blood have to do with it?"

There was some seious 'spind'lin' going on.

Those girls were good at spinning a yarn.

Then Don the Shepherd got on (the) board.

Some serious shearing for the spectators.

Followed by skirting.


outside up -

Then inside up.  And explaining why.










Meanwhile - what do the small ones do while Mom is talking fleece?

You have fun with sticks in the dirt.

    And then its time for 'all hands on lamb'.

"So have some fleece for sale?"

I think so.

How do you choose from so many?

It's easier when you buy 2 fleeces, and split them 3 ways.


Yup - you get Three bags full.




So a good time was had by all.  On Saturday at least.

Sunday was windy, wet, and cold. Not a great day for the family fun day we had planned.  But a few came out anyway. and we had some fun in the barn.

The last ewe lamb got sheared, so now Don is done.

And the 'Ad Rams' did their job again this year.

We'll call it successful again this year.


Now the load of extra wool has been delivered to the mill.  And several of us can hardly wait till the bats and roving and felt come home, all clean and white - and black - and ready for the next step.  Meanwhile, I'm processing some by hand.  There is yarn and felt to be made.

No more excuses. Look for the light.

Excuses are just words.  But when they just run through your head, they are only thoughts. Wish I had managed to get at least some of them spelled out in the last 6 months. But here we are. Groundhog Day, 2014. Maybe it wouldn't be a bad thing to run it through a few times before moving on. Would it give me some time to catch up?

Seriously though, we have been busy. Ewes and Us. County fairs to judge, a daughters Masters Degree, offspring selling and buying and building houses. Miles (the grandson) along the path of life. Life unpredictable, unplanned, unexplained sometimes, but never unappreciated. Just sometimes a little late in documentation.

I truly have had a blog post in mind. Intended for Thanksgiving. Then Christmas. Then to herald the New Year. Will settle for Ground Hog Day. For although the bright sunny day gives predictions of shadows seen, and 6 more weeks of winter, my subject is quite fitting.

I took this picture weeks ago.

Yeah, its a plant. But look closer, and think about it.

Its just a plant in my living room. Sadly, badly neglected. It started out with two stems. I gave it a new pot long ago. It gets watered - maybe once a month or so. It has a way of calling out for help when it gets really dry.  REALLY dry. Its poor leaves sag as it closes its pores in a desperate state of conservation of moisture. And then I notice it. The experiencing and recovering from drought has left a scar not soon forgotten, and I can share its pain. But then I noticed one day this simple Croton had much more to tell than its personal wish for water. I noticed it was reaching for the light.

I knew enough I should move it to the sun room, to join the other plants on the table flooded with sun every sun-lit day. But I didn't. I waited, and watched, and tried a little harder to remember to water. And this is what I heard it say.

It started out as not one, but two. Blocked from the meager fall light by a curtain, one stem withered and died. The other thrived. Why? Same plant.Same soil. Same water.

After watching the colorful chlorophyll life and death drama  for weeks, the universal truth took root in me. It was about choice. The choice we all make.

Both stems experienced the same suffering. Deprived of life giving water and light, I had watched as one slowly wilted, withered, and died. There is nothing enlightening in that. The inspiration came from the other stem. I noticed it bend. I felt the strain as it literally reached for the light. Over the course of the weeks of fall, it grew. It reached around the darkness until it reached the full light. And so can we.

We are presented with the choices, both great and small, every day. Many aspects of our lives are constrained  by the circumstances of our rooting, and we may be justified in our resentment of being dependent on the care and keeping by forces beyond our influence. But we have a choice. To choose to live. For a plant, that means to reach for the light. And so it is for Us.

Every day now, the light lengthens. The New Year has begun, and the activity of a new season awaits. Here at the farm, the box of garden seed potting soil are ready. The wool shelves are being cleared, and weather forecasts are watched for a break in the cold. There is shearing to be done. By the time the extended winter ends, it will be lambs that are forecast.

The light of Ground Hog Day is clearly casting long shadows as I write. It does not trouble me. Because I rest in the darkness of night. And, like winter, the darkness is dispelled by the light.

Whatever you perceive to be your light, I hope you reach for it. It's your choice. Your life.

Give Thanks. Merry Christmas. Happy New Year.  Happy Groundhog's Day.  Oh - and Whatever Super bowl Sunday for those who may care.

Do check back in the weeks to come. I really plan to do better. Ewe's depending on me.

Seasonal visitors to the farm

So, the lamb count is lost somewhere.  I stopped asking after it hit somewhere around 115, and the lamb drop slowed considerably. About 15 ewes left, including some of the ewe lambs that are pregnant. Been averaging one or two a day. The excitement has dwindled, and is edging into boredom, and the urge to just get it over with and move on.

The recent visitors were still excited by the babies though. First were the girl scouts, who came a couple of Saturday mornings for the Artventure Project. 

 They made felt, dyed it with kool aid, and made flowers.

And of course they had to meet some lambs.

Some even had shown lambs in 4-H, but few had ever seen true black ones.

 I made the green felt for the leaves, and the blue 'vase'.

The completed bouquet  will be sold at the upcoming fundraising event for the ArtVenture program.

Nice work girls.



And the title -  "Thanks o lot, and maybe next year we'll make Samoa."

 Then on Easter, the grandkids all got to meet some of the new members of the flock.  The older ones were only mildly impressed. Its not like they've never seen a lamb before.

But Max hadn't!  He was mesmerized. Or maybe he was attracted to the similar ears.  What a jolly little bunny with lamb.




More news soon. I even have pictures taken. But in the meantime, things are popping up all over.  The garden planting has begun, even if spring is very late.
No signs of potato green yet. The grass, however, with the help of the recent cold rain (yuck) is visibly taller each day.  The fruit trees are pruned. Almost ready for real spring.

Doing our best to get ready for the big event - the first spring  "Flock to the Farm".  Shearing, wool handling, spinning and more. Baby Lambs everywhere!  Garden preview, sustainable and intensive grazing practices. For families, fiber folks, and any wanting a day on the farm.  All welcome if you can get here.  There will be a report after the event of course.

Visitors are always welcome.
Hope your spring is as 'Hoppy' where you are.

Lambs are 'Marching' onward

The first lambs arrived just over 2 weeks ago. Now are more than half done, and I can't keep up with the count, but last I checked the score was 73 lambs on 52 ewes. Or something like that. It's been amazing to us how doubling the size of the flock somehow more than doubles the amount of work. But, like every other year, the sight of all those happy babies hopping and playing in the sunshine makes it all seem worth it.

When the sun finally shines that is.  Spring has been slow to arrive, and the cloudy cold days, seemingly continuous flurries, and furious north winds was hard on the newborns. Cramped for space this year, the new families were pushed out of the nursery in short order to make room for the even newer additions. A brief outbreak of scours was fortunately stopped with magic pink medicine and timely warming sun. Everybody is looking better now.

 The girls scouts came again this year for some fiber art fun (more on that in a later blog). They got to visit some of the first babies.  I was impressed - out of 7 girls, one had showed lambs in 4-H, and one had a mother who spins.  Still happy to do what we can to keep spreading the word about sheep and wool.

T

 Last Monday, I went out to take pictures for the blog, but it was a terrible day for lambs. But I did find these 4 in a row.

And a little wooly pinwheel. Or is it a shamrock?

The next day was better. The singles and their mothers were hanging out together in the sun.

And there are encouraging signs of spring. Once again, we are awakened by singing birds at dawn. And the chorus of hungry ewes at chore time are now joined by dozens of higher voices of the lambs. True music to a shepherds ears.

And meanwhile, seeds are sprouting. Firewood has been replaced by the table of green basking in the 24 hour faintly pink glow of the grow light. (In the sun room, of course)  The break in the weather broke dormancy of the gardener, and onion plants now reside in soil. As I type, the potatoes are placed in the adjoining rows.

So yes, it really turning out to be a good Friday, on Good Friday. Easter has long marked the beginning of spring in its celebration.

Hope you all have a good one too.

Happy Easter from all of us........ make that 75 lambs on 53 ewes.... at Ewe And Us.

Season to grow

I have to admit I have held myself back, purposely not blogging for the last few weeks. There was big things happening, and I didn't want to jinx it. And of course, big things never happen on time. But with the first day of Spring, it finally happened. Ewe And Us just got 4 times bigger!

We have always had in mind that some day we would like to own more ground. Especially that to the north of us, where our well is. And now we do. An additional 17.2 acres brings our 'holdings' to 22.2, making us a 'real' farm (by zoning standards) for the first time. But more on that in a moment. Meanwhile, the flock has begun its seasonal growth in numbers.


They started last Friday. 4 sets of twins in a row, (and some of them black ewe lambs). Then 2 singles. The Coopworth gave us a very nice ewe lamb. I was very impressed with her full sisters fleeces (yeah, we sheared, and I missed blogging it), and welcome another into the flock.

Monday morning I had some errands in town. I checked the ewes before I left, and the two sets of twins born that morning were doing well. I returned just 2 hours later, and took the groceries in the house, checked the messages (someone had called about wanting bottle lambs), and thought about lunch, but had a sudden feeling that I needed to check the ewes first. Nothing was happening outside. I took a quick look at the new twins again, who were up and nursing. The ewes had gotten up and filed out the door. All but one. My heart sank. The remaining ewe was scrunched in a heap, and a VERY large glistening black pool behind her on the straw. We lost a nice black ewe lamb last year when the amniotic sac still covered her nose, and I feared the same fate for this lamb. My maternal instinct kicked in. Gentle prodding produced to response, but it was warm. I quickly cleared her nose, and thumped her side. There was a heartbeat, so I continued to thump and squeeze her ribs and rub her side. Finally, she took a breath. And as I continued to rough her up, I swear she looked up at me and smiled. The ewe was weak, her hind quarters trembling. I pulled the lamb, which I now knew was a ewe, over to where she could lick her off, and mother and daughter began the bonding.

I checked on them several times, as the ewe was still having trouble standing (Large lambs sometimes pinch nerves) but they both continued to improve.

Here is the little 'Whopper' later in the day.


The lambs just keep coming, as they should. we have had more twins, many black, and one more single. So far, even though the singles have been large, we haven't had problems like many have reported this year. Supposedly the mild winter has resulted in larger lambs this year.


So the older lambs have already been put out together in their family groups.

Now, back to the bigger addition, where our thoughts and dreams are beginning to manifest.

The flock numbers have been increasing over the last year. Feed cost has been a concern, but now the girls should have little to fear.

Plans are already coming together.

The machine shed in the top picture is soon to become a shed for ewes and lambs.

The foreground will be temporary pasture for early summer. The hill to the northwest will be planted to a grass and legume mix for hay and grazing.

We only had 3 acres of pasture. An additional 17 means a lot of potential.









We also squared off the building site on the west side, so the bucks will have an additional paddock as soon as it gets fenced.

The line runs from the pink stake to just right of the little white grain bin.








Okay, so we realize we just bought ourselves work for the rest of our lives. Much of the ground is cut through by creek, both running and dry. Fifty years or so of neglect means down trees everywhere. At least we won't have to go to the neighbors for wood to burn next winter.

Other plans are already in motion too. The garden plot will double in size, and with it produce for the Farmers Market, including corn for the first time. The potatoes, onions, peas and more are already in the old plot, and the new ground has been plowed in time to soak up the gentle rain falling today.

It will take some time, but the vision is clear. Our intentions are becoming reality. I am already spending more time at home with the wool business, and Don hopes to retire next year. Our new/old careers already await.

I found this tree clinging to the creek bank, and I identify. Graphic image of how I have been feeling the last few weeks. But now its time to move on. I am consoled by the knowledge that this is not a recent development; this half naked rooting. Most likely the tree is merely growing where it was planted. Notice that the roots turn into the bank as they have grown, not exposed at all. In a precarious position for life to be sure. But then, aren't we all. But our roots run deep.

Stay tuned for more spring news to come.