Thursday, April 17, 2014

Life on the farm

It's been one of those weeks when spending any extra time on the computer just hasn't been feasible. I'm going to attempt a quick update while the beans and cornbread cook before my guys get home….

Oh, those naughty lambies! The past few days all five of them have spent much of their pasture time playing and exploring outside the fence, while the ewes yelled for their little truants.

On Tuesday I scissor-sheared Bing. Black is so hard to photograph accurately; Bing has NO light fibers and is oh, so crimpy and soft with great length! Now I can move his group into the wooded lot where grass has had a chance to regrow since I moved Blake and Browning into the grassy strip between the arena and paddocks. The big boys have got that mowed down pretty well, so they will be moved back to the Ram-ada Inn lot soon.

This morning I monkey-picked Sarai's fleece clean and got her suited back up until I have a chance to scissor-shear or roo her. Since her (exquisite!) fleece is not yet reserved, she will have to wait until I skirt the fleeces that are reserved. Brian is going to be gone all day Sunday, so I'm hoping to get all my skirting done then.

I also took down the panel dividing the fold so that my Minnesota Moms (Marta and Sarai) and their lambs are all together. Annabelle and her boys are still in the corner pen when they are in the fold, but not for long.

We're getting a perfectly-timed showery day that should keep the plants looking lush and gorgeous for awhile. The rosemary and perennial cornflowers in my island bed are going gangbusters this year, making up for the half-hearted efforts of the red rhododendron and lithodora. (The red rhodie has one – count it, ONE – flower bract on it this year!)

I caught this bumblebee hard at work yesterday; now it's time for me to get back to work!
Oh! I nearly forgot to include your daily dose of lamb cuteness! It's Mr. Hot Stuff himself, Boulderneigh Barbados:

That's it for now from . . .

12 comments:

Tyche's Minder said...

Bing is handsome! Can I ask you where you get their coats? I have not been able to find the simple canvas looking jackets that people seem to use.

Sandy Livesay said...

Michelle,

Beautiful pictures of your farm. I love your flowers, do these have a nice smell to them?

Mr. Hot Stuff ......Oh what a cutie!

Michelle said...

T.M., I use Rocky Sheep Suits; they are the BEST!

Sandy, none of the flowers in this post are fragrant to me – but maybe they are to bumblebees! ;-)

Laura said...

Is Bing available? I love it!!

Unknown said...

Beautiful black wool. Beautiful spring flowers. Lush greens. And Barbados posed for a perfect lamb photo. Great pictures!!

Michelle said...

Sorry, Laura; Bing is already reserved.

Thank-you, Nancy Kay. :-)

Mary Ann said...

Mr Hot Stuff is RIGHT!!! Your flowers look gorgeous!

Unknown said...

Baa baa black sheep have you any wool...

I'm so happy watching the lambs grow!

Anonymous said...

Bad lambies going walk-about! My goat kids have been doing the same thing. I think I'm going to have to add a layer of chicken wire all the way around their pen to keep them in; they are all little enough to slip right through the field fencing.

Tyche's Minder said...

Thank you!

Jan said...

Hi! I'm Jan from fleaChic.com, your newest follower. Your header photo is wonderful - such a noble profile! I hope you and your family have a joyous Easter.

Michelle said...

I hope Mr. Hot Stuff gets to sire lots of handsome lambies for someone, Mary Ann.

Are you drooling, Shelly? Hopefully Bing's fleece will be on its way to you next week!

I put up some plastic fencing along one gate yesterday, Sue, so the lambs couldn't slip into the horses' or ram's paddocks. I figured that could end up very, very badly....

Welcome, Jan! That header photo has been very good to me. :-) I hope you have a wonderful Easter, too. I'm off to visit your blog!