Microburst

Last Wednesday evening at around 11:30 a freakish, massive thunder and lightening storm ran through our valley. It would have been pretty impossible to sleep through it. It was a full moon and as I watched through the window, I felt like I was experiencing special effects in a really scary movie. The storm, which they are now calling a "microburst" seemed to take forever to blow away. What was left was a whole bunch of downed trees, limbs, and electricity no more.

The next morning we awoke to 200 adult sheep in our yard. This flock of sheep had been grazing about a mile up the road. They must have been so freaked out that the electrified fence didn't hold them. By 6 a.m, they had found their way back down the hill to our farmhouse. You can't imagine what 200 sheep can destroy in a few short minutes. The wood shed was trashed and stuff was spread all over.


Cup of coffee in one hand, camera in another, I waited to hear from The Farmer about the damages up the road as I shooed and shushed the sheep away from this and that. Boy, was I glad to see him shortly before 7 a.m. I am no match for 200 sheep. Julia was still asleep, oblivious to the goings on outside (oh to be 11 again and clueless). The four of us (me, him, and the two Border Collies Phoebe and Ness) pushed the sheep up the hill.

Through the neighbor's hayfield

Up the road past the police officer's house, with a little lamb trying hard to keep up.


Across the field below the big hill


Farther out past the big ravine with Nessie close behind


Back to the electro-netted temporary pasture


Way far out across the landscape.....


And to tell you the truth, we did this exercise two more times over the past weekend. The sheep must have been spooked by the odd weather. Good thing our neighbors are patient. I'm sure it is wearing thin. The dogs are happy to help and actually look forward to doing their official work. As long as they can cool off in a mud puddle, they are happy.

Needless to sway, we lost our electricity as did a large number of homes here in Franklin County. By the end of the third day without water and lights, I was ready to stop the homesteading. When the lights went back on, we were all happy to be able to read at night without a flashlight. Good thing we have a gas powered generator to keep our freezers running. We're in the beginning of Farmers Market Season and it would have been a pretty distressing, not to mention huge financial loss to lose all that home grown product.