Friday, September 22, 2017

Around the Farm

It is breeding season for the sheep. In early August the rams were moved into the various pastures where the ewes have been summering. We are hoping for lambs in January. This is our new Texel ram. 


He is in the fields just outside our farmhouse. He is a friendly fellow having been raised in a small flock of sheep in CT that had a bit more human interaction than ours do. Our sheep graze far and wide and after a summer away from the barns they are wilder than heck. Every time I walk into the pastures, he comes up to me for a scratch on the head. This is our second Texel ram and we are looking forward to his lambs to see how they grow. He has a very blocky shape to his body and The Farmer is looking for a lower to the ground animal that is a little easier to handle and move around. 


The ewes have not been shorn yet. Once they return to their winter barns, they will be. Hopefully their fleeces will grow a bit to keep them warm this winter. This is one of The Farmer's new management plans. He is always trying new things. I just go along because the sheep are his thing, not mine. He doesn't tell me what color to paint and I don't tell him what breed of sheep to buy. Could be why we are still married after 32 years. 


I've been working in my pottery shed in the late afternoons until almost dark. The sheep move out to graze as the sun is going lower in the sky. With the windows open, I watch them start to move out down the hill and into the orchard. They are curious about the noise in the shed and we usually talk to each other a bit. (Go ahead Julia - roll your eyes.) 

Here are some more photos around our farmhouse. I know I am a broken record about sunflowers so these photos show you some other things I grow. Everything is looking a bit tired now but I let it all keep going. I haven't decided whether I will buy any mums this year. To me, mums kind of signal the end of the growing season and they make me a bit sad. 







This was my zinnia harvest the other day. The more you cut them, the more blooms they put out. Gotta keep harvesting otherwise they die down. 


Sadie's hair is starting to grow out and she is looking less like a lab and more like a Pyr. She has been very busy at night protecting the sheep all night long. It's dark out there and she takes her job seriously. 


Hope you all are having a good week. 

5 comments:

Jules Means said...

I love this post. The photo of your house behind the hydrangea is so lovely. I love that the new guy comes over for head pats and that the sheep are curious about the goings on in the pottery shed, too. ;) - Jules

Unknown said...

Love reading about the comings and goings on the farm, Kristin. Knowing that super busy and creative people, such as yourself, have creative ups and downs (as you've spoke of in the past), help me to let the downs happen, then move on....
I really wanted to take your class this fall, but couldn't get it together. Glad the class was filled.
Heading to the Deerfield Craft Fair today with a friend. Don't need or want one thing, but love to see what creative people are doing...
Be well. Enjoy what's left of the summer weather even though the calendar says fall! See you at your Holiday Open House!! XO Cheeryl

Gerri said...

Thanks for the post-nice break from what I should be doing. ;-)

I never buy mums. By the time fall hits, I'm ready to let go of gardening and move into my indoor projects. Our warm weather is extending again this year and it is driving me nuts! How can I sew/weave/knit to a maximum in the evening if I have to try and get the watering in before the ever earlier dusk??? Then I keep losing weekend days to the extended planting season.

Snow, I need a big dump of snow!

Mary Lou said...

That hydrangea!!!

Auntie Shan said...

huh. I'm surprised that they haven't been shorn by now. Especially with this weird heatwave going on for so long. -- At least up here anyway. After all of the rain we had up until the end of July, the lack there of in August was a welcome. Except for the high humidity bit. However, after the usual Labour Day Weekend temp drop/stormy weather, it's been sunny and *HOT* ever since! And, NO rain! Folks are beginning to scratch out "September" on the Calendars and replacing it with "JULY"!
Personally, I suspect it's all due to those F5 hurricanes sucking up ALL of the moisture from northeast! -- It leaves me to wonder about what kind of winter we'll be having..??

BTW, GREAT Floral "CROP"! -- The only flowers on our lawn at the moment are late season DANDELIONS! :-{ They *wish* they were SUNFLOWERS!

Anyhoo, hope you get all of your pottery done in time and, give the new Lamby-Lover a head-scratch for me, too!

;-D
*hugs*!

Kristin Is Now Writing Over on Substack

Hi All! A quick note to let you all know that I'm now writing a Newsletter over on Substack: Kristin Nicholas' Colorful Newsletter f...