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Just a bit chilly this morning but the sun was bright and strong so it felt reasonably good for a winter’s day!
I got home from work early and we took a snowmobile ride into Keene (25 miles). The trails are splendid! After 2 feet of snow, an ice storm, more snow and now frigid temperatures the trails are hard and smooth as glass.
On trail today we watched a flock of turkeys crossing the trail. You can see them to the left of Jack, just crossing into the woods.
We rode to Chili’s in Keene for a refresher. I must say as we rode the railroad bed into town at 55 mph, with the air temp at 0 and the wind chill factor at 55 below zero we were warm as toast! It is really miraculous if you are dressed accordingly!
Yup, this is me, hanging out on trail….no such thing as having too much fun! Be warm!
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The cold?
Sidney and I braved a walk across the fields this morning at zero degrees with a wind chill factor of 25 below. Almost froze the water in my eyes!
This is the railroad bed on a snowmobile trip we took this past Sunday….water frozen in suspension and an ice climbers delight.
The Love?
Jasper and Tybee, two of our wethers are fighting for Ashley’s attention during breakfast today. Ashley, in heat, is tucked in against the wall, trying to grab a mouthful while Jasper(left) stands attentive. He seemed to have won out over Tybee(right). Little do they know they are not virile! Love conquers all.
The warmth?
The hen house (far right little building) is cozy as can be today…the snow on the roof is insulating so much that there are icicles forming on the back side! I keep the bedding good and dry and with the warming bulb in there it is running 30 at night and 40 during the day in this wretched cold!They get treats to entertain them from a fresh pear to timothy hay and alfalfa. And in return 6 eggs a day come forth.
Be warm!
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Do you have these? I love fiber, knitting, dyeing, felting, spinning….all of it. But I am blocked on making anything happen right now. I look at knit patterns, look at my stash, can’t make the two meld, think ‘oh, maybe tomorrow’ and it doesn’t come.
What do you do to get out of this funk? Do you ever get there at all? I have friends who are immersed all the time in fiber projects, producing beautiful results and I marvel of late.
Looking for the way back in! Help!
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We ended 2008 with a bitter wind overnight and the thermometer reading zero. The sheep got the royal sleeping quarters beginning yesterday and through tonight. We have a small barn attached to their freestall area which is bedded with straw and sleeps 10. For those less inclined to battle the dirt floor of the barn on a cold night this suite offers plush accomodations.
This morning the birdfeeder was a hoppin’ with loads of finches….Webster was in heaven watching them from the warmth of the kitchen window!
After feeding, the sheep enjoyed stepping out into the bright sunshine to bask. The wind had died down and the day, although frigid, was great sheep weather.
Memphis has had a bit of an intestinal disorder….not uncommon and most likely the result of the ups and downs in the temperatures the past few weeks. Sheep are very sensitive to any changes in their daily routine (aren’t we all!) and the weather can be the culprit quite often. The symptom is loose stools. The bug is coccidia, brought on usually by stress. She is on day 2 of a three day treatment with an oral sulfa drench and a dose or so of Pepto Bismol. The sulfa drug attacks the bug and the Pepto, as for humans, instantly attacks the loose stool issue. She was quite friendly this morning as if to thank us for noticing. Memphis is an awesome ewe. She has taught us many things about sheep care across her years with us and never failed to thank us for the care. She is the face on our logo and a true lady in every way.
While Jack plowed from yesterday’s snow storm, I washed all the sheep coats that had piled up after the last coat change. Greasy, dirty job, but necessary. Now clean, I have a few repairs to make in the morning and the pile is replenished for the next change.
The hens were not allowed out today…too darn bitter cold. So I brought them some treats. First some alfalfa cubes broken up and added to their grain feeder…they loved it! Then two tubs of snow. They love to eat snow! I left this tub for them and checked on them in a few hours and it was gone, empty. We have been leaving the warming lamp on 24/7 of late just to keep the coop at 20. Although they prefer dark at night I don’t want to risk the coop getting too cold. Spoiled they all are but you need not wake in the night wondering if the animals, wild birds and hens at Long Ridge Farm are uncomfortable. Sleep well and Happy New Year!!!
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There are benefits to having chickens but there are also drawbacks. I thought we’d have a handle on the biggest drawback now that we only have 6 free-ranging rather than 18 prior but I guess that is a silly notion!
The drawback is they are EVERYWHERE. The rule is in the AM they can’t come out unless it’s 30 degrees or above and the past few days it has been all of that, 56 on Sunday! And aren’t they having a ball. In the mud on the roadsides, at the bird feeders, all over this farm, scratching, foraging, dusting, what have you. Even with the two feet of snow that has melted to 8 inches they are having a grand time.
What I didn’t realize is they have zero traction on ice so this morning in an effort to distract them from the yard I shooed them down the lane and it is still pretty icy. They were walking and slipping landing on their feathery butts,it was quite a sight.
Last week we took down the electronet fence we have in the front yard to have it shortened and then reset. The fence has served as a containment area for Sidney and the cat. If the UPS/FedX truck rumbles by, for instance, Sidney jumps through the roof and would roar off after it, were it not for the fence. It is peace of mind for me if I let them out, knowing they are safe but able to stretch their legs and survey their domain. But the fence also served as a barrier FROM the chickens in our front yard and a temporary fence is now back up and that’s that. I couldn’t wait til the other fence was reapired. Enough is enough! No more raiding the birdseed I toss on the ground, no more hens at the shed door staring at me, no more scratching away at the grassy areas, not to mention the chicken s***. Today as I pondered the situation from the kitchen window, one hen kept looking at me from the feeder area as if to say “gotcha!” No, no hen…got you!
Tomorrow’s mission is to protect one roadside bank that they are really going to town on. Then I’ll fix that and they’ll find yet another place to ravage! Man vs beast!
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Today Jack and I are enjoying a quiet Christmas here on the farm with our friend Mary.
This is the day to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ and it is a marvelous and wonderful blessing. Last night when I did the chores and put out the hay for the sheep, I reminded them, as I do each Christmas Eve, to be sure to make room for Joseph, Mary and their unborn son should they arrive, needing a manger. Some of the sheep turned and looked as if to say “of course we will”.
Wishing you and yours a warm, peaceful day filled with hope and love eternal!
Here is Webster this morning anticipating perhaps a new squeaky mouse hidden somewhere to open and basking in the sun as he watches the birds come and go from the feeder, an endless source of live entertainment for him!
