Working Day on the Spinning C

Danny and I get up early in the morning, right after the sun peeps over the eastern horizon.  So many things to do on the farm.
The first up puts on a pot of coffee.  We are trying to lose weight so we have eating cereal for breakfast...I don't like to eat a big breakfast anyway. 
After breakfast it is time to let the sheep out in the South pasture, feed Sadie and Lady while I am at the barn.  We trimmed 3 sheep shooves..My least favorite thing about sheep. 
Danny has been waiting for the ground to dry so he can till the garden and his melon patch...finally the weather cooperated and he spent most of the day tilling and mowing. 



Danny tilled the 3 LONG rows of green beans that are starting to bloom.  I hope to be able to can at least a 100 quarts of green beans this summer.  Our first 2 rows of sweet corn are tasselling.


I had skirted two fleeces last night and bagged it in nylon meash bags to wash.  I let the two fleeces soak in cold soapy water all last night to remove most of the dirt from the wool so the first thing I did this morning was to spin the wool in the wash machine in the wool room in the barn. 
I heated water to wash the wool, I try to have the water at 180 degrees and add Dawn detergent.  I let the wool soak for about 20-30 minutes...I don't want the lanolin to settle back on the wool...then I spin out the hot soapy water.  After the wash, I rinse in very hot clean water 1 or 2 times, until the water is clear. 
It was almost dark when I finished taking the last of both fleeces out of the nylon bags and shake and tease the wool.  We had a great surprise today so I took a break from washing wool to entertain our 16 year old grandson, Wyatt and his friend, Clay.  After lunch they got the boat on the water and did a little fishing.  I took a few pictures, today was so beautiful, the temp was mild and the sun shining.

The boys didn't get to spend much time fishing, Clay had to be back in Trenton to work at the Swimming Pool at 4.  Wyatt works there too but today he had off.

My lillies are in full bloom.  I love lillies.
Beets will be ready to pull on Monday...I will be canning pickled beets Monday...so I plan to work in my studio over the week end. 
Just at dusk, I call the sheep back into the barn lots so that the big white dogs can do their job of protecting the flock from coyotes, I ring a big cow bell and the sheep come running into the lots and I walk out and shut the gates.  I then walk around in the flock, checking for any abnormals.  Last night I noticed one of the big white ewes had bottle jaw...I wormed her and gave her a shot of pencillin and she looks much better today.  (Just when everything seems to be going well...oh well, just part of being a sheppard!)
I praise God for this wonderful day.  I pray that you too have a wonderful weekend and have a peace come over you so that you can stop and admire all the beauty around you.