Sounds in the woods

I love to hear the wind blowing in the pine trees, such a sad song. There is also a lonely owl that hoots late in the evening, no one answers him, but he keeps on hooting. There is a hawk nest just west of the house, really close, I have seen the male and female cruising in the air screeching softly, sometimes being chased away by a couple of crows. They have raised babies the last few springs, I worry that they will catch my hens, but I haven't lost any that I know of. I have seen them on the ground trying to sneek up on the less crafty hens, but the kittens seem to be harder on the chicks than the hawks. Then there are the crows clucking, cawing, sometimes imitating a turkey sound. I love crows, they are the comedians of the wild fowl. The squirrels are not afraid of me, the feed that is spilled on the ground is too tempting to run away when I show up at the back barn, so they bark at me, like I am supposed to run away. Sometimes I walk up on a herd of deer and the lead doe will snort and stomp at me to stay away, if I don't move we will be eye locked forever, until I give in and move, then they all snort and run away. The field larks make the most beautiful song ever heard, I have one pasture that we mow late in the year to avoid running over the nests, it is a song bird breeding ground. There is a hawk that has taken up residence at that pasture, but maybe the Pyrenees that guards the place will keep him at bay and he won't be successful at taking the most delightful sound on earth.

Jump start

Sheared another doe this morning, a very pretty light caramel doe out of Sassparilla. Maybe 6 more to shear.  Got a jump start on tomorrow's big meal late this afternoon. Made sweet potato casserole, broccoli casserole, cookies, 2 gallons of sweet tea, biscuits and corn bread for the dressing. Tomorrow  I'll cook the turkey and bake an apple pie after feeding and caring for the sheep and goats, that always comes first, even on holidays, can't concentrate on anything until I make sure all is well at the barns and everyone is happily eating their hay. So much to be thankful for, as always on a farm there are so many blessings, everyday. And you know it's not anything you could ever do, there is a God that keeps you humble and thankful. I've seen so many miracles of the first breath of a lamb or kid or calf or colt, and held them in my arms when they took their last breath. I used to cry for days and tell myself if I had done this or that I could have saved that one. It took me a long time to figure out, I have no control of this life. All the things that happen to you make you who you are, just be glad to have had the time living the life you love.

Cleaning the store

Moths are like dirt, they are a part of life. It is not anything to panick about. The actual clothes moth is tiny and hard  to find. Not to be confused with the bigger miller moths or pantry moths that fly around the lights at night, they are harmless to woolens. The damage of the clothes moth is easier to detect than the moth, holes in the fiber and a silvery trail left behind. Usually  they damage a small area on a raw fleece, the solution is to skirt off the damaged part and wash the rest of the fleece. The best preventative is to keep your woolens washed when not wearing them and store in a sealed plastic bag. I spray my raw fleeces and my processed fibers 3-4 times a year with an organic garden spray that is safe for food. I spray the walls, floors, baskets, everything. This does not harm the beneficial insects. Never store wool in paper bags, moths will lay eggs in the folds of the bags.

Bo Peep has lost her sheep

My sheep are always standing at their feeders in the morning, waiting on their breakfast. I was in a hurry to get everyone fed and hay out as it is the annual flea market at Peachtree Handspinner's Guild meeting today. I didn't want to be late. The lead ewe saw me coming and started her beeeehhhing as she kicked her heals up and ran off the hill toward me, she is always watching for the next meal. I only counted 21 sheep when I started throwing grain into the feeders. I walked up the hill with my bucket of feed and more came running, that made 32, still 4 missing, I was getting worried, I have been hearing coyotes running just at dusk the last few days. I walked all the way to the top of the meadow to find the last four grazing on a small patch of grass, they have to go way out now to find anything to eat, they saw me and knew it was chow time. Needless to say they all beat me back to the feeders and gulped down their grain so fast one got choked, for just a few minutes.

Pale comparison

I haven't had eggs for weeks, since my hens stopped laying. I was so excited yesterday when I found some locally grown brown eggs in the Purple Mountain Natural Food Store. I was really looking forward to a breakfast of biscuits, fresh jelly, bacon and scrambled eggs. When I cracked open the first egg, I was so disappointed, the yolks were a pale white, when whisked they looked like I was cooking milk. The taste was just as pale. You never know how good something is until it is gone. The tomatoes are gone also. But the turnip greens are better than ever, I hate to think what the greens in the grocery store taste like.

Dreary

A dreary Monday, we had to drag all the feeders in the barn to feed the goats today since most of them have been shorn and it was wet and chilly, everyone seems okay, had to haul hay into the barn as well, when you are naked and it is 52 degrees and raining, eating is the best way to keep warm. Only about 14 does left to shear, I should have tried to finish them over the weekend, but I needed a break, so I could go to the grocery store, pick-up grand kids, cook, and cook some more, wash clothes, all those things you do when you are not working. Hope the rain is over, I need to wash and dry wool to card before the next guild meeting, looks like I will have to build a fire in the garage wood stove to dry things down and warm the fibers that need to be around 65 degrees to run smoothly through the carder.

Ready to be shorn

More does ready to be shorn hopefully in the next few days, about 35 or so left, if the weather holds. We've been going at it hard this week and maybe will get through shearing all the goats. I'll take a break before shearing the sheep but I would like to get them done before the end of the year. We did shear the ram and 2 wethers that are up at the barn with the billies. Their fleeces are clean and fresh, nothing compares to fresh wool, such a good smell and handle. Mohair is better after a good washing, just looks and feels better. I am hoping to get the smell out of the billy fleeces, some of them are so nice, still a kid fleece on them at a year and half of age, just a little stinky.