June 21st 2011 - 1st Day of Summer

No new pics to link up as of yet.  The garden is doing well, but we've had little rain.  Horses are getting along great but don't seem to like to be ridden that much, disappointing.  We're now down to the 4 sheep as we've had to sell off our flock - it was a good lamb/sheep market.  Still have the 3 Alpaca and they've been sheared.  Off to the beach today to enjoy the 1st day of summer and the Summer Solstice!

Sunday, March 13th James & the kids weighed and tagged all of our sheep.  Jay Mariachere came by to shear last night.  We even sheared the ram lamb born late January 2011 (45 pounds 3/13)!  He's going to be an excellent fiber producer, if I don't earmark him for the freezer.  Total count for 2011 lambs is:  1 black/silver ram lamb, 1 black ewe lamb, 1 white ewe lamb.  Jay told me that #13 Cotswold has quads in her & that I should expect them, and many others, in the next 2+ weeks!  This has put off my period designated for selling parts of the flock by a few weeks.  Can't wait for the snow to melt so I can start planning this years garden!  Chix are starting to produce eggs again, they must like the time change.  New pic of baby (Duchess-Missouri Fox Trotter) below and her friend (Mick-Percheron) will be arriving in a few weeks.

In January I took these amazing pictures off our West facing deck overlooking the pond and pasture.  It's the moon setting over a snow that we had just recently had.  I love it.

Back in October 2010 we had a morning with an amazing fog over our back pasture.

So is today Ground Hog Day?

Because if it is, we're definately going to have many many more weeks of winter.  There is so much snow, more than in years past.  (Pictures shortly)  Sunday, January 16th brought the first lamb of the new year 2011.  A black cotswold ram lamb.  The second lamb of the year did not make it.  The rest of them should follow shortly towards the end of February.

Sunday, October 24, 2010

We currently have 14 head of sheep; 3 Alpaca on the farm.  I'm hoping to grow this by next fall.  Jay Mariachere will be over later today to shear the remaining 11 sheep.  Pictures to follow.  It continued to be a dry summer, bad tomato crop in comparison to 2009 and continues to be a dry fall.  The barn yard is being cleaned up & put away for winter with the hopes of a lot of percipitation.  Looking to add 2 horses to the group, we'll see.

2.2.2011
15 sheep, 3 alpaca, 1 horse, chix and dogs and cats!

Jay Mariachere @ Strawbery Banke, Hand Sheep Shearing Exibit

October 9, 2010 - Saturday
Jay Mariachere took 3 of our ewe lambs to the festival and hand shearing exhibit.  Later, Connor Lawton helped to clean up the sheep as Jay taught him how to properly use the hand shears.

4 bags of Alpaca & Cotswold Fiber Roving

Received our first shipment of roving back from Zeilinger Wool Company (they took care of all the processing).  Still waiting on the black bags as well as the quilts we had made from our fiber.

James & I put in a new flower garden across the front of the house.

July 10, 2010 Pics

Gertrude our Guinnea Fowl

This is Gerald (Connor named them all) our Mille de Fleur cock.

This is Big RED, our Rhode Island Red Rooster.

This is Piggy, Gerald's 1st wifey.  The other is named Toe, but she's moody & won't let me take her picture.  Camera shy.

I was working in the vegatable garden this morning & I started harvesting carrots.  I also took out 4 summer squash, but gave them to my Aunt & Uncle.