Farewell to February

February said farewell in a lovely way... cold temperatures but lots of sunshine.  It seemed as if suddenly the birds truly believed that spring would soon arrive and began their songs in earnest.  March 1st definitely roared in like a lion, but oh, on that last day of February, we all enjoyed the sunshine and had a renewed sense of hope.

{this moment}

A Friday ritual. 

A single photo - no words - capturing a single moment from the week. 

A simple, special,  extraordinary moment. 

A moment to pause,  savor and remember. 

Participating with the SouleMama blog.

{this moment}

A Friday ritual.
A single photo - no words - capturing a single moment from the week
A simple, special extraordinary moment.
A moment to pause, savor and remember.
Participating with the SouleMama blog.

Friday's Fences

Pumpkin on a sunny afternoon stroll... headed to the woods for what probably turned out to be a little afternoon hunt.

joining Jan and Jer for Friday's Fences.

Much of the Same

This post has been in the works all week, and we've really struggled to get it done.  We had one almost spring-like day, but much of the week has looked like this.  Much like Bella, we've been plodding along.  The bred ewes are devouring 200 - 250 pounds of hay a day, cleaning up every last, little bit.  The hogget ewes are growing out and have been very entertaining of late when we arrive to feed.  Running through the snow, jumping up and down, they bring a smile and sometimes we can't help but laugh out loud.  And, of course that brings us to the barn cats.  They are always eager to provide entertainment.   The latest toy has been a discarded box that has received so much cat love, we're reluctant to throw it away.
Hope you're having a wonderful morning, and not digging out from under too much snow.

joining Rurality Blog Hop

Barn Helpers

While the weather outside has been frightful, life in the barn has been delightful for the barn cats.  They are always eager to help, following along as we trudge through the snow usually complaining loudly all the while.  Anxious to get back to the barn, there they are always ready to provide more help and a good dose of entertainment.  Spot, of course, is always enthusiastic about a game of cat and mouse.

While we thought that Muffy, the dog lover, was being unusually cat-friendly with Pumpkin snuggling up with her for warmth.  In reality, she was just trying to annoy her enough to get her to move from what Muffy has claimed as her napping spot.

And Davita... what can you say about Davita... well, her motto is "Leave no bucket unturned."  If you are ever trying to track her down, just follow the trail of over-turned buckets.  It will lead right to her.

If you're looking for a little more farm entertainment, please head over to Sprout 'n' Wings Farm.  Michaele has a wonderful post about "The Winter Farm".

{this moment}

A Friday ritual.

A single photo - no words - capturing a single moment from the week

A simple, special extraordinary moment.

A moment to pause, savor and remember.

Participating with the SouleMama blog.

Please don't forget to comment on Monday's post!  You could be the lucky winner of a 2013 Sheeps and Peeps Calendar!

2013 Calendar Give-A-Way!

Are you still looking for a gift for that wanna-be-shepherd?  sheep enthusiast?  peep partisan?  lamb lover? feline fancier?  dog devotee?  May we suggest our 2013 Sheeps and Peeps Farm Calendar!  A 12 month, spiral bound, 8 1/2 X 11 inch wall calendar, printed on high-quality paper, it features scenes from a year at our fifth-generation family farm in wild and wonderful West Virginia. Each month has a photo or collage showing something that usually occurs on the farm during that time.

You can order it through our Etsy Shop or our Big Cartel Shop.

To celebrate the holiday season we are giving one away to a lucky blog reader. To enter the give-away simply comment on today's post.. Comments will be closed on Sunday at 8 p.m. and the winner chosen by Random Number Generator. Good luck everyone!

Comments will be closed on Sunday at 8 p.m.

And the WINNER is - Isaiah Jenkins from Deer Path News!

Many thanks to all who commented!

A Message From Muffy

Before we head out to tackle fallen trees, shattered fiberglass posts, bent and broken temporary fencing, all the while trying to avoid the attention of two very large, free roaming rams... Muffy wanted to let you know that she has been very busy also, having significantly reduced the rodent population in the past week.  The proof, of which, she has brought as gifts to her human friends.  She says, "Hey, I'm just doing my job."

Hope you have a wonderful day!  It's cold here, but the sun is shining! 

{this moment}

A Friday ritual.

A single photo - no words - capturing a single moment from the week

A simple, special extraordinary moment.

A moment to pause, savor and remember.

Participating with the SouleMama blog.

Friday's Fences

Most of the time on the farm, when you are set on a task, you are blessed with lots of help and companionship.  Taking photos for Friday's Fences was no exception.  Muffy led the way, looking for just the right combination of fence and foliage.

Finally... she decided... ok... this is just right.

joining Life According to Jan and Jer for Friday's Fences

{this moment}

A Friday ritual.

A single photo - no words - capturing a single moment from the week

A simple, special extraordinary moment.

A moment to pause, savor and remember.

Participating with the SouleMama blog.

Weekly Top Shot

our girl ~ sweet, sweet Muffy

joining The View From Right Here for Weekly Top Shot

In the News

As much as the Olympics have been dominating the news, it was, of course, inevitable that the farm animals would catch on

platform diving

100 meter dash

rowing

the gymnastic floor exercise

and certainly the favorite of all... the parades!

Muffy and Bella

Muffy has become quite the dog lover, and would honestly much rather spend time with them than the barn cats.  Bella really seems to enjoy her visits, and is fascinated with her purring.  They sure provide a lot of morning chore entertainment.

{this moment}

A Friday ritual.

A single photo - no words - capturing a single moment from the week

A simple, special extraordinary moment.

A moment to pause, savor and remember.

Participating with the SouleMama blog.

solstice to solstice :: lazy

"Are cats lazy? Well, more power to them if they are. Which one of us has not entertained the dream of doing just as he likes, when and how he likes, and as much as he likes?" ~Fernand Mery

response to week three of the thirteen weeks of summer
the solstice to solstice project at urban.prairie.forest.

{this moment}

A Friday ritual.

A single photo - no words - capturing a single moment from the week

A simple, special extraordinary moment.

A moment to pause, savor and remember.

Participating with the SouleMama blog.

(please, be sure to comment on our Tee Time - It's a Give-Away post!)

Hot Summer Sunrise

One word today... HOT...

Don't forget to comment on yesterday's post to enter our give-away!

Bird Watching

Although a very busy weekend, it was almost impossible to ignore all the wild bird activity... 

a Purple Finch and its mate visiting the platform feeder outside the dishwashing window... 

a pair of Bluebirds guarding their territory in the late evening light...

some Barn Swallows took turns standing guard...

while others were waiting to be fed...

and not one... but two Pileated Woodpeckers treating us to a yard side visit.

While we were enjoying the glimpses of wild bird life between chores, Barncat Davita found it a challenge to get anywhere, moving at a very slow pace, crawling on her belly a few steps at a time while she was being dive-bombed alternately by Tree Swallows and Barn Swallows.  Apparently she has a very bad reputation in the bird world.  And then it was nearly impossible to ignore Barncat Spot's bizarre behavior, as she spent her entire Sunday afternoon on this rafter, obsessively watching one corner of the barn roof; a corner where, try as we might, we could find nothing to warrant all this attention.

You know... honestly... it's never dull around here.