I have seen my first yellow leaves of fall... (I think depression is setting in!) As the weather cools, I am gnawing my nails worrying over the coming winter, thinking about how few cold-weather clothes I even own, and agonizing over how much more hay I need to bring in. I am feeling this strange sense of impending doom. I know, really melodramatic, right? Well, I haven't had fall or winter for nigh on 13 or 14 years. Give me a break!
Toto, we're not in Florida anymore! The ewes have landed and have been taste-testing the grasses and weeds in Kansas for the last 10 days. They've also been through a really severe thunder storm already. We had 60-70 mph winds and a t-storm night before last. No hail, thankfully.
Well, the weeds are growing fast now! Meanwhile, we just got 2 inches of rain, which we desperately needed for the grass as it was down to the quick! It's time for these ewes to do some weed wacking!
Did I mention I don't want to go to Kansas? My onions are growing nicely finally! Also, my green onions, leeks, and beets. I won't get to eat any muscadine grapes this year, and it looks like it's going to be a bumper crop! I feel so interrupted.
Sandhill Flats Farm is moving: sheep, chickens, horse, cats, and all! The Husband got transferred to NE Kansas. We will start our farm move on or around June 1. It's always an adventure with this guy!
I'm so excited - the shearing is all done! Yay! And now I have a mountain of fleece in my storeroom....
Some shepherds hire a shearing team, and others do it themselves. Well, I'm definitely a DIY kind of girl. This year I have 14 sheep to shear!
I love, love my new Valkyrie combs. They are so nice and easy to work with. Kudos to my friend who found them first and pointed me to them as well!
Well, it has finally happened - I ordered a spinning wheel! My father was so kind to add some birthday moolahs to my piggy bank, making the purchase of a spinning wheel possible. I am very grateful!
In my optimistic opinion, spring has sprung! (I really hope it doesn't freeze again!) We have been enjoying temperatures in the 80s during the day and the 60s at night.
I love to paint on random items! So, I thought I would share my latest piece for your viewing pleasure. I can't seem to stop painting sheep everywhere...
I was looking through photos earlier today and realized that Tzatziki really is a very handsome ram. I thought I would share... What a Cassanova!
I am always incredulous when it frosts or freezes here in Florida. It just doesn't seem like it's possible, but it often happens here in Central Florida. Hence, we really have to watch the weather forecast so we are ready for it.
Sad story. I've been out finishing up the mowing of the pastures. We need to force a little more green and even out the hillocks.
Adrenaline was flowing and I jumped into action. The sheep had to be brought in. The flock is fussy about water; they won't step in a puddle if they can help it. I needed to get them to higher ground now before they got trapped. My Husband was more than put out. "In the middle of the night?!" he cried. "Yes, let's do it now," I responded. It wasn't like I was going to be able to sleep anyways.
Well, tomorrow we will re-attempt to put the ewe-lambs back out with the ewes. We tried to do a three-week weaning earlier in the spring, but that just did not work out. When we turned them back in with the ewes after the "first weaning", they went straight back to their mammas and the udders came right back!
Let's discuss mismatched twin lambs. It was a learning experience for us this lambing season when Hestia gave us mismatched twins. Mismatched twins is when one twin is born markedly larger than the other twin.
The best part of this whole saga is that my husband's PTSD from the 2016 shearing season has been replaced with comments ranging from "okay, you can keep the sheep" to. . .
The lambs have arrived here at Sandhill Flats! You have to watch Rhea's new twin ewe-lambs bounce and head-bang. I never get tired of the show.
First things first, I need to answer your question: why farm? It's about sustainable living, nature, doing it yourself, a simpler way of life, knowing where your food comes from, and the animals.
Finally, it was time for the 10-month old ram-lamb to be reintroduced to his father. The ram-lamb lacked about 25 lbs. and a set of really good horns, and I hoped the ram would not fight the ram-lamb to the death.
