Dog Days of Summer

The cotton plants are really loading up the bolls in this heat. We didn't get the rain that others around us did, but hopefully the plants will hold as many bolls as possible. If it gets too hot and dry the plant will start throwing off the bolls. It can only support so many bolls, and it's first priority is to maintain the plant. I am ready to throw my bolls off, I've had enough of summer, Dog Days are taking their toll on me. I have no energy, and I am having a spinner's, dyer's, weaver's block. Only three months til SAFF and so much to do. I have good ideas and intentions, it's just hard to process wool in 90 plus degrees.

Falling leaves

I didn't notice the sheep reflection in the water tank when I took this photo. I would like to think fall is coming early with these yellow cherry tree leaves floating in the water tank this morning. But, I'm afraid it is from the dry weather. I moved several water tanks around the pasture for the sheep so they won't have to travel so far in the heat to find water. It didn't take them long to find them. A lot easier on them but more work on the shepherd. I have a wagon with a fifty gallon water tank that I pull around to different pastures where there are no water lines. A lot better than carrying water by hand to them. So you always have it easier than someone else, no matter how hard it seems.

Where's the grass?

Sheep trying to stay cool in the shade but find some grass to graze. They are already getting hay and a small amount of grain and it's just July, going to be a costly year for hay. I think the different wormer I gave them is working, hope it will last. If they can keep the fleeces on for 2 more months it will be long enough for spinning, it is about 3" now and very clean, but things can change in a hurry. They seem to have adjusted to the heat a little better and moving to the wooded pasture helped, now all the sheep are back together at one pasture. They still sort off into two different flocks in the morning but end back together to bed down for the night. There is one certain place where they sleep that they come back to ever year when it is hot. And they say sheep are dumb.

Squirt's fleece

Squirt's fleece is on its way to Irene in MA. Squirt was a 2# lamb born to Jewell about three years ago. He was raised on a bottle about a week until Jewell learned to squat for him to nurse. I appreciate Irene supporting my sheep farm, we have never met but she loves my longwools. She asked for Jewell's fleece, but it was not as nice this year as her sons, since she had twins last spring. Jewell is getting some age on her and this maybe her last lambing, it is hard to keep weight on her. She has two Cotswold-Cormo ewes to take her place, but she has one of the finest Cotswold fleeces I have ever seen and more luster than any of my sheep.

Remembering a cooler day

By ten this morning it was already 84 degrees, this maybe the hottest day yet. Kept the yearling sheep up in the old lambing barn with a big fan blowing on them. I'll keep them from grazing for awhile, grass is where the stomach worms are picked up by grazing sheep. Sheep and all living creatures, have internal parasites, they are pooped on the grass, then when the grass is grazed the parasites are picked back up, when there are too many they suck the blood out of the sheep until they are anemic, if not dewormed the sheep will die. They looked fine this morning but it will help break the cycle if they stay in the barn eat hay and grain. Decided to keep the mama does and kids up in the kidding barn, it would be bad if they got parasites, so hard for a nursing doe and kid to fight off stomach worms this time of year. They are happy, their shepherd brings them grain, fresh alfalfa hay, bermuda hay and cool water every morning. I have become a slave to these angora goats.

Sultry day

The cotton fields are beginning to look sultry. The rain has missed us forever but the heat finds us everyday. Several of the yearling sheep are bottle jawed (wormy), got them in late last night, about 10:30 to reworm them, the last wormer didn't work very well. Sheared another ewe this morning, Jewell, an elderly Cotswold, she is very thin, so I can't blame the heat stress on her being fat, it's just too hot for sheep this year. And now the pastures are burning up, the sheep no longer find the grass palatable and just hang around alot yelling for feed. Managed to get a load of bermuda hay in the barn last week, not the best, but it will have to get us by for now. I am being blessed with tons of tomatoes. I have canned tomatoes, frozen tomatoes, canned salsa, canned pasta sauce, and eaten so many tomatoes  my mouth and stomach are sore.

Bright morning

What a bright morning it was down at the creek that is getting low on water. Gave the kid goats their CDT booster then onto getting everyone checked and fed and watered before the heat. I cut okra and picked tomatoes and butter beans while Alex picked more blackberries. Worked my shift at the art gallery yesterday afternoon, it's so hot I might as well be indoors with beautiful art work. We are getting lots of traffic in the gallery and many compliments. I have two bushels of tomatoes waiting to get in the jars.