Good Fences

Good morning, sheep!

Good Fences with The Run*A*Round Ranch

Sunday Muse

Who made the world?
Who made the swan, and the black bear?
Who made the grasshopper?
This grasshopper, I mean—
the one who has flung herself out of the grass,
the one who is eating sugar out of my hand,
who is moving her jaws back and forth instead of up and down—
who is gazing around with her enormous and complicated eyes.
Now she lifts her pale forearms and thoroughly washes her face.
Now she snaps her wings open, and floats away.
I don’t know exactly what a prayer is.
I do know how to pay attention, how to fall down
into the grass, how to kneel down in the grass,
how to be idle and blessed, how to stroll through the fields,
which is what I have been doing all day.
Tell me, what else should I have done?
Doesn’t everything die at last, and too soon?
Tell me, what is it you plan to do
with your one wild and precious life?

The Summer Day by Mary Oliver 

Berry Time

It's berry time!  The first of the berries and one of our favorites, the blueberries, are loaded with goodness this year.  There is a great contest to beat the birds as they ripen and the constant stormy weather leaves small windows of opportunity to pick without getting soaked.  But we are determined.  Summer and blueberries - bring on the pie!

Be sure to comment on Wednesday's blog post for a chance to win a skein of our farm grown, hand-dyed, millspun hogget yarn

joining The View From Right Here for Weekly Top Shot

{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 Wednesday's blog post for a chance to win a skein of our farm grown, hand-dyed, millspun hogget yarn!

Friday's Fences

The white picket fence seems to go on and on as you drive by.  White fence... green grass... so summery!  Happy Fence Friday!

If you knit or crochet, or know someone who does, comment on Wednesday's blog post for a chance to win a skein of our hand-dyed, farm grown, hogget millspun yarn.

linking to Life According to Jan and Jer

Rotating Pastures

The summer, thus far, has been a very stormy one.  Within a few hours we seem to go from blazing hot sun to severe thunder storms and back to the hot sunshine.  We moved the ewes and lambs into the knoll pasture last week, and they spend a lot of time under the shade trees.  They venture back out to eat after a storm rolls through, but head back to the shade as the sun quickly heats things back up.  We are very grateful for the rain, but we really need are really excited to get back to the hayfield.

Check back tomorrow when we will start another giveaway!

 

Weekly Top Shot

The daisies are blooming beautifully, filling un-mown areas of the yard along with red clover and yarrow.

Please don't forget to comment on Monday's blog - you could win a Sheeps and Peeps Farm 2014 Calendar!

 

Weekly Top Shot with The View From Right Here

 

Meanwhile

 Meanwhile, new life is springing up everywhere around the farm.  In the barn, the mama and papa barnswallow have raised a brood of fine looking fledgings.  After a couple weeks of dive bombing the barncats, they've left flown out on their own, sometimes returning to roost at night near the nest. 

The turkeys are making their way through the pasture, cleaning up bits of corn and oats, parading through morning and evening, sometimes with little ones trailing. 

Then, there are the twin fawns born in the pine grove paddock.  What a smart mama to have her wee ones in such a protected area.  Everyone is enjoying catching a glimpse of them now and then.

If you haven't already, please take a minute to comment on Monday's blog post for an opportunity to win a 2014 Sheeps and Peeps Farm Calendar!

In the Pasture

The pasture is a very busy place this time of year.  The ewes are hard at work raising their growing lambs.  We've been lucky the past couple weeks that although the sun has been hot, their has been a lot of rain.  The pasture grass has been growing at a pace that it's keeping ahead of the flock.  Another pasture rotation is in the works, and the ewes and their lambs are moving into the knoll paddock.

Although the rain has been a real blessing for the pasture and the cisterns, it has prevented us from getting any more hay in the barn.  We'll just keep watching for a three day break in the storms.

Don't forget to comment on yesterday's post for an opportunity to win a 2014 Sheeps and Peeps Farm Calendar! 

Welcome Summer!

the picnic table beckons

the evening light

softening memories

of loved ones

who will be missed

as we gather

for another summer

around her... worn and warped

but filled with

the light and love

of family

wishing you a simply wonderful summer

Weekly Top Shot

~ sunrise ~

Weekly Top Shot

bzzzz... coming in for a landing
little buttons of tansy bloom in our dyers' garden

joining The View From Right Here for Weekly Top Shot

{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 :: Gather

gather

during the heat of the day, the sheep gather

somewhat awkwardly on the side of the hill

taking advantage of the shade trees

each spending some time picking and choosing

what they think is the perfect spot

response for week nine of the thirteen weeks of summer

joining urban.prairie.forest for the solstice to solstice project

solstice to solstice :: rest

"Rest is not idleness, and to lie sometimes on the grass under the trees on a summer's day, listening to the murmur of the water, or watching the clouds float across the sky, is by no means a waste of time."
~ John Lubbock (English biologist, 1834-1913)

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

solstice to solstice :: bare

bare

one lonely bare branch

the favorite hang out for crows

and the occasional hawk

caught in a sunbeam

between storms

response to week five of the thirteen weeks of summer

the solstice to solstice project at urban.prairie.forest

After Weaning

The ewes' lambing chores are done for another year, and their job now is to regain strength and condition.  It has still been pretty hot and muggy for them so they spend much of the day under the trees.  They come out for brief periods of the day but do most of their eating at night and in the early morning.  We are feeding them about a bale of hay a day, as the pasture is still growing slowly even after the recent storms.  The shepherdess/s' job is to keep an eye on them to make sure they are all recovering from the big job of raising their lambs, and that everyone is drying up without complications.

The lambs are already becoming much more independent.  They have been moved to the cleanest and greenest pasture on the farm.  Hay was made here in early June and nothing has been on it since late March.  The lambs are now scattered all over the field in small groups when grazing, but are quickly learning to come when they hear the call "C'mon sheep!"  We scored them again on Saturday, and all but three's scores were satisfactory.  Those three were marked with chalk on their rears so that we can easily spot them in the field and keep an eye on them.  It is very rewarding observing the lambs growing and developing their unique personalities.  It's lamb watching time, once again. 

Weekly Top Shot

We spotted this little guy in the pasture following a heavy rain and herded it out of harms way into some taller weeds by the fenceline
The red eft ~ the terrestrial juvenile stage of the red spotted newt
Beginning as a tadpole, the newt then lives for 2 to 3 years in this beautiful bright orange stage
As an adult, it turns green with red spots and once again takes to the water

Joining The View From Right Here for Weekly Top Shot

{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 Tuesday's post to enter our give-away in honor of Bella's third birthday!

Solstice to Solstice :: Color

~ color ~

response to week four of the thirteen weeks of summer
with urban.prairie.forest in the solstice to solstice project
(alternate caption - aestate lectio interrupta)

please don't forget to comment on Bella's post to enter her give-away!