November Farm Update

Howdy folks!

Thought it was time to give you an update on the doings at the farm.

It’s been pretty quite around here, and that is scary! Don’t get me wrong, I’m glad for the quiet periods, but they are usually followed by some bigger issue. Conversely, there is always some bigger issue anyhow. Guess it’s just how life works, huh?

All the critters are healthy and enjoying the colder weather. I should say the sheep are enjoying it, Brandy horse looks at me like I intentionally did this to make her miserable. The side eye that mare can do is impressive, and you just know she is cussing your name in her head. She even gave me a hip check last night in her attempt to let me know I am the bane of her existence in this Brandy centered world. She is the proverbial cranky old lady. Yeah, I identify with that all too well.

I am watching Lucy’s eye. She had some goop on the lower lid yesterday, but her eyeball looks clear and not like it’s infected. Sometimes if they get a stuffy nose it kinda leaks out of their tear ducts. I didn’t see a snotty nose on her yesterday. If it keeps up I’ll get some antibiotics in her eye for her. Addendum: Just came in from chores, Lucy does not have a snotty nose, nor a goopy eye this morning. Looks like no problem starting. Maybe some hay dust was giving her a weepy eye.

We did end up putting Tally back into the barn. The other boys were keeping him off the hay again and he was not eating. Of the 3 rams, Tally is the smallest and makes an easy target for the bigger boys. Not to mention it’s coming into breeding season for them, so they get even more stupid than normal.

We had our first big cold snap complete with some snow. All told we got about 1/2” of the white stuff. Back into the 50’s now during the day, but below freezing at night. Stock tank heaters will be going in this weekend. I forgot how much I dislike breaking ice every morning. Might be getting some rain this weekend, so fingers crossed it doesn’t turn the ground into a sheet of ice around here. Me and ice do not play well together anymore.

My friend Laurette was up visiting last week, and to keep me sane thru the 2nd anniversary of Rob’s death. While she was here, she gave a “Warping Without Tears” class to our fiber group. It was so fun to watch these ladies have aha moments during the class. A super pot luck lunch and then lots of visiting after the class made for a fun day! Yes, adult beverages were involved! Two of the ladies have already jumped in feet first to warping and weaving again.

Laurette also helped me to rearrange some of Rob’s gun/office room so that I could move one of my bigger looms into the house for the winter. That was a tough day. I still feel funny about being in his space. Michael and I got the loom into the house and in the room but I do still have to move a few things around to make the space more user friendly. I have not sat down to weave on it yet.

Speaking of looms and things, here’s a run down of current projects. The loom in the house has a set of kitchen towels on it. The loom in the outside studio has the petticoat project still on it, and unfortunately the mice out there chewed a few warp threads on it. Easy to fix but a PITA to have to do it. I’m spinning yarn for the last of 3 commission hats and hope to have that plied this weekend so I can get to the knitting part. I have the yarn made for another scarf to put on the small rigid heddle loom but have not had the time yet to actually get it warped. And I’m still trying to make friends with the circular sock machine.

I also finally got my run of mead bottled. I got 8 beer bottles out of it and enough left over for Michael and I to have a lovely taste. It came out so yummy and I am happy that it is much sweeter than when I tasted it back in March. I think this is one I will be doing again.

Found that I have a coyote lurking around the place at night again. The guard dogs have been blowing up several times a night but I had not seen any glowing eyes out in the trees when I go to look. Caught it on one of the game cams though. It looks like a big sucker. Hopefully it’s not actually a wolf. I hoped to see a better picture of it, but alas, not this time. I have an uneasy truce with the predators, they leave my livestock alone, and I leave them alone. So far in 4 years, only one incident of a pair actively hunting the sheep and it did not end well for one of the coyotes.

Tomorrow, Friday the 3rd, is our 14th wedding anniversary. It’s going to be another rough emotional day for me again. This time of year is so full of those days. Not only because of the usual holidays, but the day he went to the hospital, the day he passed, our anniversary, and then his birthday all within 5 months. I really wish I could just skip this time of year. I never feel like I can catch my breath during this time.

Rob loved the holidays, the food, visiting with friends and family, and again, the food. He took great delight in making the pies for each of these foodcentric days. Or smoking a big chunk of beef, turkey, or whatever else may be on the menu. He is as good a cook as I am, and we delighted in sharing the cooking tasks for these days. He defiantly is the king of the grill/smoker and the master of pie crust.

Well, the sun is coming up and it’s time for me to go out, take the house wolf for his run, and get chores done.

I hope you all have a blessed day.