Chickens At Night

By the time I get into the chicken room to feed and water them and collect eggs it is dark. They have gone up high to roost, an instinct all chickens have to protect them from predators. It's really quite cool to see them lined up on the roosts we have built for them, and other spots they find themselves. My chicks have grown up to be beautiful roosters for the most part - way too many roosters. Matt wants to eat them, but I don't want to. Although he may say that, I know he doesn't want to spend two hours plucking them. I thought about letting them go in the barn, but Pavarotti, the big barn rooster, would beat them up. So for now they stay in the chicken room, chasing and raping the little bantam hens. I hate to see that and always think the little hens are being hurt, but they shake it off and go about their business. And, a nice surprise during the darkest time of the year, they are starting to lay more eggs. I feed them to the grateful kitties, who LOVE raw eggs. When I crack the egg to open it, the cats come running.

Settling In

The new sheep are settling in nicely. The big horned ram - I need a cool name for him - is breeding one of the ewes. That amazing bulk (300 pounds we think) effortlessly lifts himself up onto the back of one of the ewes and eases back down. I stood in awe as he did this three times to the same ewe within 5 minutes. Five months from now a little one (or two) should slide out. Dr. Rachel says these big sheep usually have no problem lambing. Now he stands by her so the other ram can't get in and do his thing with the ewe. Protecting his DNA. I have to get them wormed this weekend. I hope Matt is up for this.

Big and Bigger Snow

It's awful to be stuck at work watching the snow coming down and you can't leave. All but two students were picked up by 11:30 but we were still not dismissed. I took a 1/2 personal day to leave at 12:30. The Red Rocket does not have 4 wheel drive and I knew it would be tough going. The 26 miles of road were all covered with 4-5 inches of snow and going up the hills was tough. I did 25-30 mph all the way home. The worse part was all the trucks zooming past me going way too fast, including a couple of tanker trucks on route 8. I have two soap orders to mail, so I stopped at the PO in New Berlin to find they were closed for lunch from 1 to 2. Got some milk and cottage cheese for the kitties, ginger ale and egg nog for Mattie, the New York Times and headed home. A bigger storm is scheduled to hit this weekend. Have to get some more groceries in. Once home I checked on little Sparkle who I let out of the jug this morning. She is having a wonderful time exploring the barn with her mother, and following her out to the round bales outside. Matt found her covered with snow and hay earlier. Good thing she had on her heavy duty home-grown, handspun lamb coat. Auntie Jan is busy knitting more lamb coats. Most of last years coats are slightly felted from washing, which makes them more water resistant, but they are smaller now and not suitable for larger lambs. With the lambs coming earlier, without me feeding the moms grain the last trimester, I should have smaller babies. Fine with me, they pop out easier. I decided to do something unusual for me lately, I laid down to take a nap - and woke up three hours later. Ohhhh, it felt so good. Just me and Izzy under the covers, so warm and cozy and a million miles away from the cold, snowy world outside.

Kitties Keeping Warm

The farm kitties have a tough time in the cold. Even some of the shy hay mow kitties venture down to where the sheep are for warmth. Temperatures are heading down to single digits on Monday. I put boxes of wool around the farm for them to nestle in, but the best way to keep warm is to snuggle with each other - and any other willing host.

Breeze

We waited all day for Dr. Rachel to come and look at Breeze. He won't get up in the morning and lies all day, flat out on the barn floor. This is not typical of llamas. They sit up like a sphinx with their legs folded under them most of the time and rarely go flat out, unless it's while rolling in their favorite dust bath. I also needed Dr. Rachel to send two older goats over the Rainbow Bridge. They have been down for two weeks and I have been feeding them by hand and helping them drink water. It's so heartbreaking when old friends become infirm. Cupid was one of my first goats, a wether, and so friendly. Ada gave me a beautiful kid just last year. I don't know exactly what caused them to take a turn for the worse, but I had to end their suffering. Dr. Rachel brought a new assistant with her, a lovely young woman, who was very attentive to everything she was doing...but somehow it made the situation harder for me. The assistant would say things like, do they know what you are doing? Do they understand. Dr. R. said, yes, they sense it. I would rather not hear that. I would rather she just go about her professional business which she is so good at. The assistant asked if she did many of these and Rachel said no, that most people don't keep their goats around this long. I know that to be true. I was happy I stayed home to help Matt get through this. He was very upset, and took the bodies up to the ceremonial dead pile, where the coyotes will feast tonight on our little friends. I would rather they go back to the earth that way, because I love all things wild and because I think that's better than going into the ground. Breeze might have meningeal worm, that deadly parasite that gets in the spine. She said llamas exhibit different symptoms. I should do another round of ivomec and banamine for pain and to reduce swelling. After she examined Breeze we rolled him up and he teetered around for a minute or two before going out to eat hay. Matt picked up some round bales for me this morning and they are parked outside the east end door. Once Breeze is up he is okay, then he goes flat during the night and stays that way unless I help him up. All this is very unsettling for me. Dr. Rachel also looked at Uno, who has a swelling under his front leg...a blood clot she said, possibly from being kicked or gored by a horn. I showed her the new sheep and she said they looked pretty good for rescues. We talked a while and she left with her assistant. Dr. Rachel is going home to Nova Scotia for a week after Christmas, which makes me very nervous with all these pregnant sheep.

Twins, I Think

Last year Dulce had one big ewe lamb, Dorcas. I hope she singles again this year, as Dulce has one utter working. I don't think so, looks like twins to me.

Sheep Rescue

Okay, here's the story. I was scanning through a Spin-Sales digest when I saw a post that listed Rambouillet and Merino sheep looking for a home. Ordinarily I push the delete button as fast as I can before I read the horrifying words, "sheep will go to market if not adopted." I didn't this time because I recognized the farm, VanCalcar Acres, just 38 miles from me. Out of curiousity I emailed Jennifer, of Flock Sock Yarn fame, to ask about the sheep. She told me the sad story. A real estate agent somewhere in Central New York sold her farm to some people who didn't want the sheep. The lady took off in her mobile home and gave the sheep to Jennifer to find a home for them. Jennifer already has 300 commercial ewes she raises for meat and this little flock just didn't fit in. There was a purebred Morehouse Farm Merino ram included in the flock, in addition to a wether Rambouillet with a magnificent horn set. Horns! I adore horns on a sheep and I don't have any. Morehouse Merino? Their booth is next to mine at Rhinebeck and I know their reputation. Maybe I could put a Merino ram on my crossbreds and get more density in the fleeces of the offspring, not to mention the fleece of the ram himself, a rich chocolate brown. Rambouillets are huge, like ponies. They produce a fine, dense wool. My mind is racing. Ofcourse it took me weeks to even bring the subject up to Matt, who is getting more achey every day. And then there is the hay...so costly, rare and precious in winter. I kept Jennifer waiting for weeks. Another lady came to pick up five ewes, leaving 8 sheep - a ram, a wether and 6 ewes. I finally got the nerve to approach the subject with Matt, after we found a source of hay for the winter. I was too involved now and couldn't let them go to slaughter. How could this lady take off in her Winnebago without seeing her sheep properly situated?? Matt took it like a champ, and even went to pick them up for me...on the very last day Jennifer's husband would allow them to remain on their farm. He wanted their space for his pigs. It took two men and Jennifer to get 8 sheep into my enclosed cargo trailer. I came home from school yesterday to see the trailer backed up to the door between the two silos on the south side of the barn. I had a space ready for the new arrivals. Trouble is, they won't leave the trailer. We tried grain, hay, water to tempt them. Matt got in with them but they just milled round and round him. It was dark and we were tired with chores to do still, so we put up panels around the trailer and fastened them to the silos with wire. When I got up this morning they were still standing in the trailer! I went to work and Matt went to work on them. I called home to hear that he got them out of the trailer with a lot of pushing. Matt fashioned a ramp to get them up in through the barn door, which was just a small door to get out to the silo room, but there was no way they were going to climb the ramp into this unknown place. The sheep baaing inside and a warm dry place to lie down was no temptation to these sheep. Matt needed me to help get them up the ramp. By the time I got out of my teacher's meeting and did my stops at the PO and store to get a cow halter and lead, the rain had turned to sleet. The ramp was covered with ice and it was dark. Matt hung lamps to light the area so the sheep could see where they were going. We poured sand on the ramp so we could have good footing. Matt got the cow halter and lead on the first sheep and pulled while I pushed. Now Rambos weigh about 200 pounds, conservative estimate. Matt pulled with all his might from up in the barn, while I pushed. We got two up the ramp and in the barn, then one jumped back outside while we were hooking up the third. Got her back inside, then number four and five. The last three jumped up on the ramp to follow number five! My new sheep were safely locked in the cozy, dry barn. I got them some hay and warm water with molasses. Matt retreated to the warmth and comfort of the apt. to rest. The lady who got the other five sheep has already had a lamb from one of them, so I have to watch for lambs from my ewes. The new sheep are very shy and bonded to one another. They are so beautiful, and so different from any sheep I have. The hornset is magnificent on the wether, who seems to have the most personality so far. The wool on the brown merinos (there are two, don't know if the second one is a ram or ewe, is luscious to the touch. I have some lovely Christmas presents and the runaway real estate agent's sheep are saved from the unmentionable place.

Maternity Ward

Dulce looks pregnant. There is a hollow under her backbone and a beach ball on either side of her. She is standing in front of me and staring at me, as if she is trying to tell me something. Minerva also looks very full, too full, with the hollow under her back bone. Minerva had twin ram lambs last year. She is part Cheviot and a wonderful sheep. When she was a young ewe she would run in leaps and bounds across the field, typical of the Cheviot athleticism. I noticed another black ewe rather large, and God knows who else is pregnant. I'm a little annoyed with Matt who kept insisting the rams are "shooting blanks" due to the heat and nothing would happen. I really did want to take the year off, or just breed a select two or three. I'm surprised I didn't see any mating activity! I have to get the lamb sweaters ready.

No Doggie Walk Today

The fields are covered with a slick coat of ice...don't want to go up to the pond tonight. Poor doggies - they really look forward to their walk and it's good for me, too. We had such a lovely time yesterday. Holly found a length of deer leg bones and shared her treasure with her friends. Here are some pics of our climb up to the pond.

Out of the Loop

I pulled into the school parking lot and guess what? It's almost empty. It never occurred to me to watch the local news or check the school website. The Norwich BOCES has a two hour delay. All the sending districts have to close for our school to close, and one is open, so my trip wasn't a complete waste of time. I didn't think the road conditions were that bad. I've driven here in a lot worse weather...but people are more afraid of ice than snow. I have work to do, that's not a problem, but oh, it would have been so nice to take my time in the barn and play with my little Sparkle. I love to reach in the pen and snatch up the new lambs for a hug, while mom does her "give it back! give it back" baaing. They smell sooo good and feel so wonderful. Sparkle has long black legs and a very sturdy body. Wish I had a scale to weigh her. Maybe Santa Claus will bring me one.

Icy Monday Morning

I ache all over and feel "feverish." I think that chest pain I had was the beginning of some virus. Now it's spread to my arms and legs. Woke up in the middle of the night achy and sweaty. Got the dogs out and the world is covered with ice. Drink coffee, keep moving. Going out to the sheep to check on little Sparkle and see if there are any lambs. Matt and Dave B. got a load of hay in yesterday. What a disappointment. The bales are much lighter and browner than last year. Not much nutritional content. This guy was really good to us last winter, and I wrote the check with confidence. I want to call him and give him a piece of my mind but Matt won't let me. He says what if we can't find any other hay? Matt is checking another place today.

Spirits?

As I was sitting at my sewing machine yesterday, working on a bag order and fooling with my computer at the same time (I can roll my chair back and forth easily), I heard my bedroom door rattle softly. I got up and opened the door, thinking a cat or dog was accidentally shut in the room. Nothing there. Went back to sewing. Rattling again. I thought it was the other door which is right next to the first door. Nothing there either. I looked all around. Matt was napping on the sofa and wasn't stirring, although later he would say he heard it too. This happened around half a dozen times. I didn't feel scared, or weird, no hairs standing up on the back of my neck, etc. It wasn't until later that I thought, wait a minute. We are not close enough to the highway for trucks to rattle doors. The doors are far below the hay mow floor and wouldn't be shook by cats running above. There are no windows open. I just couldn't think of a reason for the doors to rattle - maybe a supernatural reason? I know this farm is haunted...maybe a spirit is saying hello?

A Wintry Saturday Sky

We took a walk up to the frozen pond around sunset. What a lovely, dark yet colorful, wintry sky we enjoyed on the way up the hill. The doggies can run across the pond now...only this time they are on top of the water. Little Monkey-face Velvet ran with them. She enjoyed munching on tufts of grass under the bushes while we walked, a treat for her now that the flock is living on hay in the barn.

Surprise!

Matt and I were feeding the sheep tonight and noticed one ewe lying down up against the stanchions. I thought it was odd that she was not up eating. We missed the morning feeding time when I was in the hospital. The ewe was straining a bit...then I realized she was pushing a lamb out! There was a nose with tiny hoofs on either side, then a head, then black shiny shoulders, and a nice size ewe lamb slid out. She's very beautiful and perfectly healthy. Mom talked to her and the lamb talked back. Mom licked her off - essential for bonding and the little one kept talking to Mama. The perfect birth. I got to spend some time in my favorite place on the Farm...in a newborn jug helping mama and lamb bond. I nursed out some colostrum, realizing that this ewe must have been one of the mastitis ewes from last year. Only one utter is working. Not a problem with a single lamb. We realized this ewe must have become pregnant in July - so much for our "90 degree and over sterile ram theory!" We meant to skip breeding this year but I fear there may be some more pregnant ewes out there. It's a relief to know she must have had enought to eat to produce such a hefty lamb. We would usually feed grain at the end of a pregnancy. That green grass must have been good for them! I'm going to check our little darling. There's a name! Darla!!

My Duty Station

Matt hooked up my new sink today. It's perfect. A cookie sheet can lie down flat in it, and it will hold a chilled newborn lamb perfectly. I am not allowed to wash wool in it, unfortunately. The faucet is a Hansgrohe, from a European manufacturer. Matt was surprised to see it in Lowe's. He installed a $2,000 Hansgrohe bathtub faucet for a school teacher in New Jersey. My kitchen faucet was a great deal cheaper than that. It's very industrial looking and works great. The sink has an plastic insert to wash dishes or veggies in if you want a smaller container. The sprinkler pulls out of the high curved neck. I figure I have spent most of my life standing at sinks of one form or another. This one will make my sink time a little more enjoyable.

A Big Relief

Lynne's last socks for me arrived today. We feared they were lost in the mail. It took much longer for this package to arrive than the last. It contained two exquisitely designed and knitted socks for my collection, and three tiny adorable knitted Christmas ornaments. Lynne is having surgery on her knee in Canada now but I hope she is able to log on to a computer somewhere and hear the good news! Lynne! The socks are here!! They're terrific - you ARE the greatest!

Friday Night Fatigue

Matt has been saying he's too tired to move at night...I think he convinced me to feel the same way. Almost fell asleep in history class today and now don't know how I'm going to get out there and do chores. Once I get going I usually get a second wind. I went to pay my farm mortgage in Norwich after work and stopped to get Chinese buffet to take home. Walked in the apt. to find my beautiful new sink and faucet installed in the countertop. I was second guessing the cabinets but not this sink. It's a big giant 33 inch sink which a cookie sheet can lie down in. I have BIG pots and wanted a sink I can sit a pot in. The very industrial looking Hansgroe faucet looks terrific. Won't I be happy when it is finally hooked up to the water! I dropped a coffee mug in the bathroom sink and cracked the porcelain. Broke a lot of dishes, too, washing them in the oval shape. Can't wait until the kitchen sink is operational. Matt is going to talk to our hay man tomorrow. I pray he set enough bales aside for us. Matt heard today he is all sold out, filling tractor trailers all week and shipping hay down south. Better go make some tea and get about doing chores.

Hungry Critters

The farmer who told me he would have enough hay for me to buy through the winter isn't so sure now. Called him today and he says he's been loading tractor trailers all week for long distance customers and "might have some left." Oh, please... I'm in big trouble...my worst fears realized. It's going to be a long, long winter with some unhappy and skinny sheep if I can't find enough hay for them.

Pip is in Trouble

14F when I was out in the barn doing chores last night. It must be colder than that now. Seems like it sneaked up on us. Okay, it's 4 degrees F. out there. Found out the hard way when I looked outside to see Pip harassing a cat in Chris's yard. Poor kitty was turning around and around, not wanting to expose his behind to Pip's jaws. Pip was also turning around and around, barking, fortunately because that's what I heard. I pulled on a sweater and boots and a big bunny scarf and out I went. When I opened the door Tanner, Holly, Bodie and Thor came bursting in, not wanting to be associated with this infraction of the rules. There we were, me yelling at Pip, No Pip! No Pip! with me joining in the circling around only I'm trying to get ahold of Pip so I can wring his neck (even though I just paid $110 to get his balls cut off). It quickly turned to I'm gonna kill you Pip!!!!! and I lunged at him, breaking off his concentration on the cat and starting him running. The kitty ran up the old apple tree. I didn't catch Pip but when I do....Gotta jump in the tub and get off to work. Hope the kitty is okay. Pip is back on the leash. Poor Chris Kupris...day off from Wal-Mart and I am screaming in his yard. For all I know he might be giggling under the covers...

Cold is Here to Stay

The snow is here to stay it seems. 22F on the milk room steps when I got home from work. Might go up to 35 next week but don't see any significant snow melt that would let the sheep go out to graze. Poor lambies. They are barn dwellers now, preferring to lie down on dry packed hay instead of wet snow. It will stay this way for four months in all likelihood. We walked the band of doggies up to the pond but it was hard work to walk through the drifts. Bodie broke through the ice and I thought I would have to grab his collar with my shepherd's crook to get him out, but he climbed out himself. It was a slippery walk back to the barn. Finn and Knut are outside again. We had them in the barn with the sheep while the storms were going on, but they prefer to be outside. The roaring wind freaks them out but it's quiet now. Mia begins her night shift at Morristown Memorial in NJ tonight, without her mentor to check on what she is doing with her patients. She will have 7 to 10 people to take care of. First she takes reports from the previous shift, then does her own assessment of the patients. She has to give them their meds and do any required treatments, draw blood, start IV's, call doctors, send them for tests, watch for changes in their conditions, do all the charting, etc. etc. After 12 hours I bet she will be ready to go home and go to bed, then sleep all day and come back for another 12 hour night shift. I can't imagine working so hard. Mia is young and unattached, but what if she had a family at home to take care of? Many of her classmates in nursing school had young families. I have 150 sheep and goats, not to mention rabbits, chickens, dogs and cats. Speaking of sheep and goats, I have to drag my behind out to their area of this barn and start slinging bales, hook up hoses and fill stock tanks. I had a scare with Breeze, my little white llama, who was lying flat out on the hay and didn't want to get up. I called the vet, who said it sounded like meningeal worm, oh no!, and to give him ivomec and banamine for pain. Since he was lying down Matt was able to lie on top of him and hold him down while I gave him shots. This was not easy with Breeze flinging his legs around. I decided to take the opportunity to clip his nails, which I have never done. Tibby Groves in NJ, who I purchased Breeze and Chris from, would come over and clip them for me, inside the catch pens we built. There are no catch pens here yet and Tibby is four hours away. I got his nails clipped with one hand holding his leg and the other doing the clipping. We rolled him up and he ran shakily outside of the barn. We took him some grain, and he started eating with gusto. He is still eating today, and looks fine. Who knows what was going on with him?

A Happy Customer

Lynne (aka Sockladyspins.blogspot.com) spins and knits these amazing earflapper hats. When I first saw them I thought they were mainly for kids. Lynne assured me that they were big enough for grownups. Here is a happy grownup customer at the Delaware Riverkeeper show last weekend. The earflaps help keep the cheeks warm. Lynne should know as she lives in the mountains of British Columbia, all by herself, in an area which only gets mail twice a week, and the stores don't carry fresh produce. I wear her socks every day, and believe they carry a special energy - after all they were conceived and knit by a very courageous woman.

Snowy Ride to BOCES

My school cannot close unless all the sending districts shut down, and they rarely do. Remember this is the Great North Land where men are men and sheep are scared...no, not really. That is one of Matt's redneck jokes. But men are men here and women are just as courageous about going out on the roads. Heck, they would just as soon jump in their snowmobiles and take them to work. I waited as long as I could and called the school office. Yep, we have school. I figured if I could get home from NJ Sunday night on black ice I could get to school in the daylight on snowy roads. And I did...just going slowly and enjoying the scenery. The only time I slid was when I slowed down to snap a picture of some Haflinger horses around a hay feeder in the snow...kept right on going! The tires I got last winter from the place across the street from my school are fantastic. Studded snows, whoah, baby, I can go anywhere. Prior to buying those tires the Red Rocket slid all over the place. Have to rewind the VHS cassette of my life for a moment...I was trying to get home from Voorhees High School in a driving snow storm - the kind that comes off the ocean and shuts down New Jersey. Here we have this delightful Lake Effect Snow, that drifts prettily down, but doesn't stop and piles up several feet of snow! I was trying to get over a giant hill called Jugtown Mountain. My truck skidded sideways and then backwards into a ditch. I was slightly frantic as cars and trucks past me, drivers gripping their steering wheels with frozen expressions, ignoring this little red truck gone sideways and front end up. I had no idea what would become of me, when I saw a little red jeep pass me and look over the situation. The jeep went on and it seemed an eternity, when I noticed the same jeep pull up in front of me. The driver had gone up and over Jugtown Mountain and come back to help me! A young man got out and pulled a big coil of mountain climbing rope out of the back of his jeep. He came over to my window and said, very matter-of-factly, "I am going to pull you out of the ditch and over the hill," and he went about tieing us together. I was already wondering how I could fix this guy up with my daughter. He was not only gorgeous, he was already my hero! The little jeep strained and swished around but away we went. When he unfastened us he deftly rewound the rope as if he had done it the same way a thousand times. I had found two $20 bills in my bag and made him take them. He said no, but I said PLEASE buy some dinner for yourself! I still amazed at the young man's skill and generosity with his time. I had to be helped once again before I made it over the Delaware and home that night, much less dramatically, thank Goodness. Now that I have these terrific tires I am much better off, then there is my big white F150, which is usually full of Matt's tools and uses too much gas for my liking. I prefer the Red Rocket to Moby Dick anyway.

Scenes from Riverkeeper

The Delaware Riverkeeper benefit was filled with talented crafters. There was eye-candy everywhere I turned.

Riverkeeper

Back from the Delaware Riverkeeper show. Long drive in freezing rain with only trucks and sanders to keep me company. Took six hours instead of four, but I was so thankful to get home in one piece. The show was a fantastic success. Once I got set up on Friday I drove to Jan's for dinner and bed. We got back to the show early Sat. AM to do the lighting and get ready for business. My first sale was one of Lynne's fabulous earflapper hats to another vendor. Then the socks started to go, then the hand creme, then the soap and once in a while a bag. I even sold my "One More Bag" bag. It's kind of a game I play. I dare myself to hustle and make one more bag before a show and watch for it to sell. An international energy consultant bought it! She was there with her three beautiful ballerina-ish daughters, Nicoletta, Alessandra and Vanessa who were enthralled with my spinning wheel. Mia came to help and we had so much fun. The Prallsville Mill is very old and beautifully restored. I enjoyed spending two days there. A few old friends from NJ came by to see me. I was able to spin for a couple of hours with Martha, the basket maker's, daughter, Jessie. She is eleven years old and a fantastic spinner. When I plied our bobbins they were practically identical. We spent Saturday night at Jan's and woke up to a dusting of snow. Mia did her aerobic pilates while I lounged in bed and read my Vanity Fair magazine. It was heaven! Felt like a weekend at a luxurious bed and breakfast inn. Four PM on Sunday and the show was over - back to reality. Bad weather was closing in fast and my truck was covered with a sheet of ice. Mia had insisted on running out to buy me a cell phone for the trip home. Jan wanted me to stay an extra night, but I had to get back to the farm and go to work Monday morning. It was a scary trip home, punctuated by moments of extreme terror. I lost the money envelope in the truck and was sure I dropped it in the parking lot at Barnes' and Noble when I got coffee. There I was in the rest area on the Pa/NY line, pulling everything out of the cab in the freezing rain, with truckers giving me curious glances. Sure enough, the black zipper envelope Jan gave me to put the money in blended in with the black vinyl floor mat. It was there all the time. I was about to drive back a hundred miles to the spot where I thought I dropped it. Duh!! Monday morning came too soon. The weather feels like January. 20 F. and snowing all day. Stock tanks freezing and bunny bottles too. Even the llamas came in and wanted back in the barn. The wind is fierce and drifts are piling up against the north side of the barn. The apt. is warm and toasty but I can hear the hay mow creaking on top of us. Barns should be full of hay or they sway and shift in the wind. If only mine was full of hay...