Beautiful November Day

It has been a while since I blogged.  Life gets hectic.  I have been working, painting on the bathroom and kitchen remodel...we are about done.  Whoopeee!  Today was a beautiful day and after work, I changed and took off to visit the sheep.

Sadie is a great guard dog.  She was ready to play with me.  She stopped and gave me hugs.

Some of the girls in with Logan, BFL Ram.  These girls are so nice.  I can not wait to get my hands in their fiber..

Logan and girls.  I am so ready to shear.  Their wool is calling my name.  I need to make some coats for them to keep the vm out.

Lady is the other half of the guardian dog team.  She is not as friendly but she does her job well and the sheep love her.  Everyone should have a flock of sheep to come home to and relax with.

My little buddies had to go on the walk with me.  Macy Sue loves to hunt with Steiner.  Her nose is to the ground and  she makes me giggle.  Her Boston Terrier ways are quick movements and the most loving dog that I have ever had.

 Steiner is a great little buddy too.  He loves squeak toys and loves to cuddle.  He goes with Danny everywhere.  He has given us such joy.

Einstein, wire haired Border Terrier.

Mr Gray is a stray cat that came here a few years ago and never went home.  He is the most laid back cat ever.

We enjoy beautiful sunsets ...I love to do chores and put the farm to bed as the sun sets.  All the animals are fed and watered and gave some petting.  I feel so blessed.  

Back to work in the kitchen...copper backsplash is really pretty but I have cut the tips of my fingers so many times while putting up the 6 inch copper panels.

God bless  everyone...the snow will be blowing soon and I will be working in the fiber...Sheep breeding season will soon be over...about mid December...then we just wait till March to start lambing, shearing, and the process starts all over again.,

There is so many things that I want to knit and felt this winter...do you have plans for the snowy evenings this winter?

Being Thankful and Blessed on Wednesday

Dear God,

Thank you that you renew my strength when I grow weary.

Thank you for refreshing my heart when I come to you in praise.

Thank you for refreshing my soul when I come to you in Prayer.  

Thank you for refreshing my mind when I come to you in meditation.

Thank you for refreshing my body when i come to you in solitude.  And thank you for refreshing my perspective on life when I come to you with thankfulness.  Thank you that I can draw strength from you, the source of all strength. 

In Jesus Name

Amen

Jesus said, "Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest."  Matthew 11:28

At 5:30 AM I am up and letting the sheep out to graze while the temps are cool.  I feed the dogs and give Sadie and Lady bones...they just wait for the treat.  They have barked at coyotes all night and I think they deserve the best for being such good guard dogs.

The lambs bounced and played and did a little head butting in the cool breezes this morning.  I grabbed my camera before walking down to the south pastures to check on the grass situation.  We still have some short green grass beneath the taller brown dried grasses.  It won't last long if the weather goes back to the triple digits and we have hot dry winds.

I have now opened both south pastures...rotate to prevent worms.  We could use a couple of days of slow soaking rains.

Pricillia is a beautiful BFL cross ewe lamb...she isn't a big pet and  plays bashful.

China's twin ram lamb, the lambs are growing so fast.

the grass still has a little bit of green in the sheep's pasture.

I saw a little bluebird come out of the bird house but he refused to let me take his picture....a few of the cows are standing around the edge of the pond, going in for a morning soak.  Next year there will be a good strong fence around this pond so the cows can not do anymore damage than they have already done.  

Lady is running and playing in the cool morning air.

The barn,  I am standing down hill...lol...about any place on this farm is on a hill or down hill...they call this area  rolling green hills area.  We are about 20 miles from the Thousand Hills State Park.

Macy Sue is just waiting on me to get done messing around so we can get back to the house for breakfast.

Big Bales of hay, ready for winter or feed if things stay dry and hot.  We also have  about 250  small bales of hay in the barns and sheds and I am suppose to be getting another 100 bales.  It may be a long hard winter if we don't get some rain and see the grass green up.

We have a new grain bin and they delivered feed this week.   It saves money to buy by the tons instead  of by the sack.    It will also save me town trips.  

What a pretty BFL cross lamb.

Last year's ewe lamb, BFL/BL/Oxford cross...She is so big and will be bred this fall.

I love to stand out in the pastures in the calm and peace with the birds singing, the sheep baaing and the cattle mooing every now and then.  I feel so close to God and I stand in admiration of all the things He has made, great and small.

Cheviot ewe lamb flirting with the larger BFL cross ram lamb.  She appears to be acting like a little hussy. 

Blue Bubbles, BFL cross ewe lamb...she is a keeper for sure!

Isabel's baby is growing and bouncing all over the place.  Danny calls him  Hot Shot!

Old White Knight our Border Leicester Ram, still loves to chow down on his pellets and  Cathy, the previous owner of Knight was shocked that he was still up and going.  In fact, I am sure he is the sire of Hot Shot. He is such a sweet old boy.  

Danny's melons are getting larger and looking good...they get watered, hoed, and babied everyday.   I am so glad that Danny enjoys growing his melons cause I love to eat them.

Danny's melons are spreading out.

Poor little peach tree is loaded but the dry weather is taking its tole.

I found a couple of these plants so tomorrow morning I will bring out the hoe while it is cool and get rid of them.  The sheep get the sharp stickers in their wool and I then get the stickers in my fingers...so I get rid of every one I see and then replant brome or clover in the bare spot.  After I chop them down, I sprinkle salt on what is left of the base of the plant.  Salt won't hurt the sheep.

We now have this light shining in our hearts, but we ourselves are like fragile clay jars containing this great treasure.  This makes it clear that our great power is from God, not from ourselves.  2 Corinthians 4:7

Lambing Season 2012 has Ended

It is hard to believe it is May 1st.  Thanks to Danny for all his help this year, lambing season is over.  We had 10 ewes to lamb and ended up with 16 lambs...wow! what a difference from last year.  But all and all I am happy that our numbers were decreased this year.  I have been fighting an upper respiratory infection for most of the winter and two bouts in less than a month so I can rest now, no more every 3-4 hour trips to the barn day and night.  Soon school will be out and I plan to really relax, spin, rug hook, knit, clean house, wash wool, play in the garden, and spend time with Danny and the kids when they come to the farm.

It is a beautiful day.  We had clouds and rain last night and this morning but the sun is shining and the grass is green.  The warm sun just warms the soul.  I love to grab my camera and head to the pastures to get pictures of the new babies.   Sorry for being such a poor blogger the last few months...maybe I will do better this summer.

Gerty with her girl, Blue Bubbles.  Bubbles is our oldest lamb.  I might have named her something else at first but now she is Bubbles to me.  She has that personality.

This is Birdie's little girl, her name is Blue Bird.

This is one of Sammy's lambs.  He has the ears of a Cheviot doesn't he?

Both of these girls are out of Liam, our BFL ram.  

Huey and Louey are out of White Knight, BL ram.  Their mom is Tizzy, a shetland ewe.  They were bouncing around within 30 minutes of being born and I am here to tell you that they know everything that is happening here on the farm...nosest little guys!

Lady has to be where the babies are.  She loves the new borns.

This is Mini, our little pet ewe lamb.  She accidently got in with the rams and ended up having twins.  She prolapsed 4 days before her lambs were due and the vet even had to help deliver them.   She had a little girl, MEME and the little guy , Buster.  She is doing great now and she is a good little mother.  But she will not have anymore babies.  I plan to keep Meme and whether Buster so he can stay here on the farm, this will be Mini's only family.  If they put off the wool that Mini does....it will be great!
Thanks for joining me on the walk in the green pastures today.

Danny is giving me a rug hooking frame for Mother's Day.  I plan to use the hand spun yarns from our flock to make my rugs.  I have also been spinning some heavier weight yarns to weave.  I plan to air out the upstairs and get back to work up there soon.  I love to listen to music, have the windows all open and a breeze blowing through as I sit and weave.
I will plan on blogging about the espinners that Danny has made me.  I have been really cranking out the yarn lately.

God Bless, take care, and come back to the Spinning C Fiber Farm.

The World Sheep and Wool Show in Bethel Missouri

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Working away at her booth.  Didn't get her name but she did have many good smelling soaps.

Friendly and watching the people

A young goat handler

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It was really nice to see Carl and family at the show today.

My shearer, Carl, demonstrated shearing at The Bethel World Sheep and Wool Show

Rabbit tent and sacks of fiber

The venders are set up and ready for the fiber addicts.