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. 

Summer Scenes from our Farm + Ramblings

How are you all? It seems like ages since I paid attention to this space. I know that many of you come here just for the regularity of the scenes from our farm. I apologize for not being as active on this blog recently. Summer is a busy time on our farm and I just haven't felt the urge to post and share too much - not here nor FB or IG. I needed an internet break and so I took one this August. I'm just coming back to it here now. 

Julia enrolled in our local Greenfield Community College. It was a lot to figure out considering I haven't been to college since the 1980's. Boy have things changed. It is a big change for her and she is just trying a light load to see how she does. She has always had a lot of help through school and now it is on her to figure out how to get the help she needs. She is good at speaking up for herself. Fingers crossed.

I have my first publicity meeting this week for my upcoming book Crafting A Patterned Home. The book doesn't launch until next April 2018. It all seems so far away but I know the time will go quickly. I just looked at the "pages" for the last time and I am very happy with the way it all came out. Looking forward to holding it in my hands next year and sharing previews with you all closer to publication date. 

What am I doing in the meantime besides waiting for the new book to launch? It seems like I am always busy with something. Still doing the Tuesday Northampton Mass Farmers Market from 1:30 to 6:30. In a couple weeks, I have my last Creative Retreat of 2017 - it is a knitting/embroidery/afghan retreat and it is full. Yay! Should be fun.

I'm working towards my annual Holiday Open House - the date is still to be determined. I'm also thinking about opening my ceramic studio October 14/15 during a nationwide event called National Clay Week October 9th to 15th. I'm not sure if anyone would come but it would give me reason to work very hard making and firing new work. I am a total deadline driven person and it is time for me to impose some self-imposed deadlines otherwise I won't get anything done. That's the thing about being self-employed - it is up to me to make up the ideas and make it happen without letting life slip away and not accomplishing anything. 

My clay studio isn't very large. In fact it is mighty small. This past weekend I rearranged it all and bought some new cheap-o plastic shelves so I wouldn't trip over all the buckets and stuff all over the floor. I've purchased what I think is a winter's worth of clay and hope I get to use it all. I won't be able to use the studio in the winter because it isn't heated. I've got to crank out more work to decorate once the weather turns cold. 

The world seems to be so unsettled lately. My heart goes out to all of those who have lost so much in the recent hurricanes, earthquakes and fires. There is not much I feel I can do to help being so far away. That is except donate money. And so I will. My sister Lynn lives just outside of Naples. This past few days has been full of worry for her safety. She made it through as did her cat but we are still waiting to hear more. Her cell phone is out of power and who knows when the electricity will come back on. At least she is safe. Prayers for everyone affected. 

Looking forward to sharing more here soon. Hope you all are safe and well. 

Judith Jones - An Icon

Yesterday I heard the sad news that Judith Jones has passed away at the age of 93 at her home in northern Vermont. My heart sank with sadness but also soared with admiration. What a rich and interesting life Judith lived and how incredible it must have been to introduce so many wonderful books and authors to the world. 

I met Judith a few times over the years when she traveled to our area for book signings and talks. The most memorable time I wrote about here back in 2012 when I met Judith at our neighbor David's home with her sweet dog Mabon. That day will always be one of my fondest memories of a woman who worked passionately and was still learning about new things like blogging way into her 80's. She was an icon and so deserving of that status. 

Judith Jones, Mabon, and me

You can listen to a couple interviews with Judith on the Burnt Toast podcast here and here. I must dig out my copy of The Tenth Muse, Judith's autobiography, and re-read it again. You can read the blog she wrote for a short period of time here. 

RIP Judith and thank you for all you did for the world. 

Open House in Leyden Featuring My Friends Alicia, Deborah, Gail, and Debbie

Popping in tonight with some quick words. We had a great Thanksgiving holiday here at the farm. It went so quick. After that was done, I had to quickly move on to the next project - our Holiday Open House which is in only 4 days! Yikes. 

Julia and I spent the weekend making things for our Upcoming Holiday Open House this weekend - December 3/4. Julia is quite the pro at making pom poms now. She will be selling them herself. I think I have created a monster!

I've been making as much pottery as humanly possible. I fear I don't have as much as last year. Working on my new book Crafting a Patterned Home really took a crazy amount of time. I am still not done with the book work - another photo shoot next week - the last. And then lots of re-writing and improving on the first draft. 

Here are some of the unglazed pieces that I will have fired (twice!) before Saturday. I changed clay bodies and so I have been quite worried as to how it was going to work out but the first pieces were fine. 

Today, I put together a little "art hunt" for our guests. The hunt gives numbers for them to look for and then explains the different techniques I used for each project. It includes some of the new projects from the upcoming book. I think it will be fun for people to discover the different techniques and things I have made and done. It is hard for me to explain to everyone who comes everything about the house so this will help guests learn on their own. 

Besides my work - my books, patterns, some yarns, pottery, embroidery supplies, tea towels, and notecards, I have a few friends who will also be displaying their beautiful work. Across the street at her own studio will be Alicia Hunsicker. 

You can also find Alicia at the following places on the web: 

Website: www.aliciahunsicker.com  
Blog: www.aliciahunsicker.blogspot.com

On the porch, Deborah Garner is returning with her gorgeous textiles and handmade jewelry. 

For those of you who cannot come to the Open House because of distance, you can luckily shop virtually via Deborah's (Jewelry) Etsy Shop HERE or her website HERE for her exquisite textiles.

In the library, my good friend Gail Callahan will be selling her incredible hand-dyed yarns, silk fabrics, her original Color Grid and her Wedding Color Grid. 

You can find Gail on-line at her new website  The Kangaroo Dyer. 

My friend and neighbor Debbie Bernard will be making wreaths and selling some of her ornaments that she makes. 

Mark will be selling our grass-fed lamb for Holiday Celebrations. Bring a cooler. 

I hope some of you will be able to make it to the Open House. All the information is on this Facebook Event Page. You can find directions on our Leyden Glen Lamb website here. 

Hours are 10 to 4 on both Saturday and Sunday. Bring a friend. We will have some home baked goodies too. 

Sugar Sugar

Finally getting back to the blog! Julia is back at school and I have been wrangling all the book-keeping requirements of having 2 businesses of our own. Glad that is done. I get so worked up over it all. But it is all put away until next year. Now back to the blog and the book and the sheep and the farmer's markets.

We have barely had winter here in western Massachusetts. After last year's horribly cold and snow filled winter, we were expecting the worst. But it barely happened. We shall see what next year brings.....

Over the past few weeks, the hills around here have been humming with activity in anticipation of the sap running. It has been a short season, I think. On Wednesday, it was 70 degrees and I fear that the sap has stopped until next year. Some of the trees are beginning to bud and there are signs of spring all around - like the birds coming back and singing their gorgeous songs. 

Sid's 250 gallon tank collecting sap from several maple trees

Yesterday I was out and about and I thought about how the season was changing so quickly. I decided to do a quick driveby of three of the sugar houses that are within a mile or two from our farmhouse. All of them "were boiling" - I could tell because steam was bellowing out of the vents on the rooftops of the sugarhouses. 

Louis' Sugarhouse

Sugarhouse (sometimes called sugarshack) is such a strange concept for me as I didn't grow up where maple syrup was made. Now, I am totally endeared to the often homemade little buildings that dot the New England countryside. Many are abandoned because whoever was interested in making maple syrup is no longer around and their family members don't have the time or inclination to make it. 

The steam vent at Louis' Sugarhouse

I love the fact that there are still many maple farmers in our town that are active in sugaring season. Although there are a couple big commercial sugarhouses, I'm partial to the little buildings that sit next to farmhouses or in the woods not far from them. They are bare bones basic - handbuilt with wood harvested on the farm. Often the tin roof is made of re-cycled bits and it seems there is always other "important odds and ends" sitting around near them - to be used in the future "if needed." (I live with a farmer who doesn't throw anything out - in case he might need it one day so I know all about this "might need it someday" mentality. Have you ever read String Too Short To Be Saved by Donald Hall?) 

Carl's Sugarhouse - Front View - notice the wood on the side

We don't make maple syrup here at our farm. We did make it for our family's use when Julia was younger. She was diagnosed at age six with Juvenille Diabetes, so we stopped. Now we purchase our syrup from our friends Marian and J.P. at Justamere Tree Farm at the local Farmers Markets we sell our lamb at. Justamere also has an on-line business and will ship all of their maple products to you. Check them out here if you want to sample real maple syrup. 

Carl's Sugarhouse - Back view - I love how it is set into the hillside

When Julia was diagnosed with diabetes, I knew how much it would impact our family's life. My dad was diagnosed as a Type 2 Diabetic when I was 12. I lived with all the ups and downs of the disease including the different health complications it causes. 

Carl's Sugarhouse - notice the sap tank at the left

The treatment of Diabetes has changed so much over the years - all for the better. Julia has been on an insulin pump since she was ten and she manages it all herself. We just went to her 3 month check in with her doctor and her A1C (a number which scores how good you are monitoring and controlling your disease) was excellent. I am so proud of her and hope she will keep it up. 

Ed's Sugarhouse

We love Julia's doctor and the incredibly helpful staff that works with her. She keeps asking the doctor about all the latest changes and possible treatments and cures. This appointment Dr. Allen told us that there is even more progress towards an insulin pump working with a cellphone to read real time glucose monitoring and dose insulin automatically via pump. It is only a matter of time which is pretty exciting if you or a family member is living with this disease. 

We were talking about the day in November 2004 that Julia was diagnosed with Dr. Allen today. When we got home from the doctor, loaded with unfamiliar supplies including insulin, needles, prescriptions, testing supplies, and nervousness to boot, there was a package waiting for Julia. In it was "Kit" - an American Girl Doll sent from her grandparents. Kit was such a great distraction for Julia. She went everywhere with Julia for a very long time. I only bring this up because if Julia were into Kit now, her doll would also be able to wear an insulin pump and be diabetic. The American Girl Company responded to this diabetic girl's campaign and has put an entire diabetes wellness care kit into production. Kudos to them for helping young people living with a disease know that they aren't the only ones.

So in closing today's sugar post, I share this video that Julia and I love from Maroon 5 called Sugar. 

Have a great weekend everyone! 

Cuteness Ten Fold

Lots more lamb photos today. It has been bright and sunny and this whole week it is going to be nice and warm. The little lambs love to sun themselves. 

This set of twins is just a day old. They are still following their mama closely. I love to watch them run on their spindly little legs. 

We are up to 99 lambs. I'm hoping lots more will be born during this warm spell. We never know when the weather will change and we will face below zero temps and snow and ice. So far, so good though this year. 

We're hoping it won't warm up too much though because then the mud will happen and that makes everything so much messier. 

Some of the lambs are getting rather large and they are starting to hang out together on one of the mounds in the field. They run and jump. The Lamb Races are starting too and I will try to get a new video of it if I can. 

As if all the lamb cuteness weren't enough, Petunia has a litter of 4 kittens. This litter has been so much fun - all cuddly and sweet. Serious snuggling with all of them. I'm sharing some of my favorite photos of them here. They are all spoken for and I am sure they are going to be awesome cats when they grow up. 

The other day I said to Julia - "I hope when you grow up and move away you remember all of this." As a kid, I would have loved to be surrounded by kittens, puppies and lambs. I'm not sure she is thrilled by any of it - except the kittens. She calls herself The Catfarmer and is just crazy about them all. And I'm pretty positive she just thinks this is the way everyone lives. 

Back Again And Life Moves On

It has been over two weeks since I last opened my laptop. Gee whiz - how awesome! I actually forgot about the keyboard! I never feel totally disconnected because of my smartphone but I did try (and quite successfully) to not look at it too much. I am now jumping back into work and on-line life with the holidays over and life back to semi normal. Most of the Christmas decorations are still up and they will stay up for at least another month. I love the twinkling lights and glitter at this dark time of the year and I see no reason to put it away as it adds much visual cheer. 

We had a nice couple of weeks. I cherish the time we get to spend time together without the interruption of Julia's school schedule. The three of us visited my mom and my sisters in NJ and Julia and I went to Boston for a quick trip. Otherwise it was low key. Farming never stops for The Farmer. He is only able to be away for 2 evenings after getting the animals all stocked up with food. He never really relaxes when he away and I know he keeps thinking about all that needs to be done to get ready for lambing. He couldn't believe that it had been a year since he last was at my mom's house. Time certainly does seem to fly by the older you get, doesn't it? 

The Christmas Holiday Season is always bittersweet for me. My Dad passed away on the Winter Solstice eleven years ago. I always dread that day. I will never forget the early morning call from my sister Jenn sobbing and crying. That Christmas was a sad one with the silver lining of having the whole family together to remember Daddy's life. I'm sure many of you have had similar experiences around the holidays losing loved ones. There was an article in the WSJ about this same subject. This December, we lost two dear family and farm friends and we still are adjusting to thinking about life without them on the earth. 

We had an ice and snow storm shortly after Christmas. I am still hacking away a path through the thick ice. Now we are in a deep freeze. It is "pipe freezing weather" and "lamb killing weather". I know - most of you probably don't think of these things but that is the gist of the general conversation when you live on a farm - the weather - the animals - and what is for supper. Luckily, most of the lambs are not due for a week or so. We have had 4 so far and when I get a chance, I will post some photos. I have light bulbs next to the the pipes in the kitchen which always seems to help. We have been hauling wood for the furnace but it is still chilly in the house. Good thing for wool sweaters and hats. 

Boy oh boy, I just re-read this post and it sounds like such a bummer and downer. I do not mean to sound that way and try to keep this place happy and upbeat but life is not all wine and roses. Sometimes it is best for me to share the good with the bad so that many of you reading who live in different places and dream of living a beautifully bucolic farm life, don't get the wrong impression of perfect life on the farm. Frankly, life is not perfect on a farm - just like it isn't perfect where you live. We are all faced with challenges, heartaches, sickness, death mixed amongst the happiness. On a farm it swings greatly between the two emotions of joy and sadness more frequently. 

On the 23rd, we lost our dear Border Collie Nessie to cancer. She was 10 1/2 years old and was the hardest working dog we have ever had. We miss her constantly. I keep saying to Kate - "Are you ready to be in charge? Ready to be top dog?" She looks at me with the most quizzical look.

Ness on our last walk through the fields on December 18th

The fact of the matter is I have seen a distinct change in Kate the past couple weeks without Nessie being around. At first she was trying to figure out where Nessie had gone. Then she realized that she doesn't have to fight at the food bowl anymore because Nessie was always laying next to it guarding it. She is more in tune with The Farmer's every move. She is always waiting for him to go outside to go to see the sheep. She used to love to ride in the car when Julia and I were out and about doing errands. Not now - she is all business just waiting to hop in the truck and go with him to do chores. Try as I might last night, she would not hop in and ride with Julia and me. 

Kate has been The Farmer's main working dog this fall because Ness was failing. She has a long ways to go and still scatters the sheep in the wrong direction at times. I think as she matures more and hangs around the sheep at the barn she should hopefully figure it all out. She is incredibly agile and quick and very sweet. During the winter, there is no herding or moving to be done because the sheep are all tucked into the barns. 

We will have to think about getting another Border Collie puppy soon. We have not been without two dogs in the house in over 30 years. I am missing the routine of having two dogs in the house with us daily. We have lost 3 dogs in the last 13 months - Phoebe, Winston, and Ness. Boy oh boy. You love them so much and then they are gone. And then you miss them and think about them every day. I call their names out of habit and then realize they are not here anymore.  

The LGD puppies Beau and Sadie are doing great outside. They are getting huge! They definitely know their place and reason for being on this earth - to guard the sheep and our family. There has been a lot more barking during the dark evening hours which is what they should be doing. Their coats are so thick and curly and beautiful. They still are not doing too good in the "not jumping on people department." Shoveling snow and ice and gathering firewood is one of their favorite activities. 

As Garrison Keillor says, "That's the news from Leyden Glen Farm today...." I'm not much for Year in Review Posts nor New Year Resolutions. It's best for me to just jump back in where I left off and start organizing what needs to be done. The photos in this post were taken on December 18th and I have not wanted to download them onto my computer to look at them until now knowing that this was the last nice walk I took with Ness. 

I hope you all had a wonderful holiday season and I look forward to sharing lots with you this 2016.