Apr
2009
Summer, winter, spring in just 3 days!
April 27th, 2009 at 07:22 pm by Shari Thomas in Around the Farm, Chickens, WeatherThat’s the way it’s been here for the past couple of weeks. We’ve seen highs in the low 80’s followed by snow/sleet and lows below freezing. We’ve even had over an inch of rain this past week.
Oh, and you can’t forget the winds. Generally the wind begins about noon, but lately it’s been blowing nearly 24/7 thanks to the way the storms are passing to the north of us.
We’ve had to nail plywood back onto the stable, and rebuild a corner on the sheep shelter, as well as come up with another tarp to cover the cow manger. Thankfully, we’ve removed the tarps from the alfalfa stacks as they were completely shredded.
On the summer day, we quickly built three new raised boxes, and then waited for another time with little to no wind to fill them with sand and compost. We’ll plant peas and various lettuces in those boxes.
We’ve also added extra compost to the corn patch, and laid out the new drip irrigation system for our big garden.
Our garlic is doing very well in two of the three locations, something we were told would be the case. The rhubarb is growing nicely, and even Cindy’s strawberries are showing life. We’ll leave the berries alone until mid June.
The very last thing we’ve done was to remove the bird netting from the top of the chicken coop. A late, heavy, wet snow took it down and really made a mess of it. We also raked all the old bones, corn cobs, and other garbage the chickens have scratched up in their pen. We have a few young hens who like to fly out of the pen, so every once in a while we’re surprised by a hen going on walkabout.
Hopefully, we’ll get the new addition to the coop roughed out this weekend. Remember, we took a barn down for the wood, and part of that will become the new coop addition.
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Mar
2009
Would you believe we’re still waiting?
March 23rd, 2009 at 07:46 pm by Shari Thomas in Around the Farm, Sheep, WeatherLast week we had spring. This weekend, we had winter again with better than 40mph winds, sleet and a couple inches of snow.
There’s an old wives tale that says a dramatic change in the weather will bring on labor.
Someone forgot to tell our sheep… we’re still waiting.
This morning, Cindy and I took time to really closely observe our gals. We can see the little lambs moving and a couple of the mamas are looking pretty uncomfortable.
I guess we’d better hurry out in the morning when we first get up. I don’t really expect anything overnight.
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Feb
2009
More snow… longing for spring
February 17th, 2009 at 09:22 pm by Shari Thomas in Around the Farm, Chickens, WeatherWe went to bed with intermittent power outages, probably from the heavy snow laying branches on wires, or wires just snapping somewhere.
Over night we got three or four inches more of wet, heavy snow, right on top of a two inch layer of mud.
Yeah, it was pretty when we looked out. Feeding this morning was pretty easy as the ground was still frozen, but this evening… it was pretty sloppy, and by tomorrow, we’ll be back in the mud again.
Our little flock of chickens grew as we bought five new pullets from some folks in town. They’re Red Star and have just begun laying. Our old gals weren’t real thrilled with the newcomers, but I’m sure they’ll get over it.
As soon as spring really gets here, we have the lumber ready to double the size of our coop and then order another batch of chicks. Mom’s loving this egg business…
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Feb
2009
Some dogs just never learn
February 14th, 2009 at 09:24 pm by Shari Thomas in Dogs, Family Cow, Horses, Sheep, WeatherWe’ve had another round of snow, about 3 inches. Not enough to shovel, just enough to make it really white and sparkly.
Our old gal, Mindy has been bugging Cindy and me to take her out with us when we go feed. So, most mornings, about the time she thinks we should be going out, she begins to patrol the hallway, the kitchen, both bedrooms until finally we gather our coats, hats, and gloves.
Each morning, it’s game on!
... the rest of the story...
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Jan
2009
Snow won’t leave… Christmas lights must go
January 13th, 2009 at 04:05 pm by Shari Thomas in Around the Farm, Chickens, Dogs, Family Cow, Horses, Sheep, WeatherToday’s the day. It’s as warm as it’s gonna get (with the wind not howling), so Bev just donned her heavy sweatshirt to head outside and remove the Christmas lights.
Thankfully, all she has to do is find the extension cords (buried under 6 -8 inch snowdrifts, disconnect all the pre-assembled pieces and put the displays back in their boxes until time to put them up next year.
In the mornings, the ground is still frozen at the surface, so feeding the cows, horses, sheep and chickens is quite pleasant, but the evening… well, tonight it will be back to muck boots!
This morning when Cindy and I went out to feed, we took the big black Lab (Mindy) with us. She’s behaving when called again, so the reward is to tag along on the morning chores. She loves to run around and “say hello” to the chickens, the sheep, and the cows. She’ll swing by the horses, but only for a second as she’s right at the broken-down fence line and there are smells to follow.
As we were getting ready to bust ice on the sheep and cow water barrels, Cindy was remarking how I’d left the crow bar too far out of her reach.
I noticed the hose length was missing and asked her what she’d done with it… She watered last evening, I think…
Well, on closer observation, the cows (mama and calf) must have had a party. The hose was in their shelter, and they’d moved the crowbar about four feet north on the panel between them and the sheep. Silly girls!
Just call it never a dull moment at the “Four Country Gals”.
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Jan
2009
I was right, it’s cold again
January 10th, 2009 at 08:55 pm by Shari Thomas in About this Site, Around the Farm, WeatherYep, the muddy boot prints are about an inch deep and frozen solid.
We’re seeing nighttime temps around 10 degrees F and daytime about 38 or so. No more 50 degree days ’til March now.
That means we’re going out to feed twice a day, taking care of a few extra chores, like getting down the Christmas lights as the snow recedes from them, and knocking down the last of the untouched hay stacks.
On the Internet front, I’ve got something that really caught me off guard this week. If you used WordPress, you REALLY need to read the rest of this post.
It tells you about a WordPress security issue that most likely affects your blog(s), even if you’ve upgraded to WP 2.7. When I first found out about it, Cindy began keeping her eyes open to see we’d snare a free download. (She belongs to a program where the owner buys software and appropriate rights).
Sure enough, within 48 hours we had our hands on it, and have since gotten it uploaded to our server.
This is so important, I felt it necessary to offer a “Personal Use” edition of the security program. That means you can download it (along with the instruction videos) for simply giving me your name and e-mail. I’ll take good care of them.
If you think you’d like to get the resale rights, then there’s a way to purchase the program from me for less than the price of a bag of feed.
I’ve taken advantage of at least locking each of my blogs part way, and this week, my goal is fully implement all the security and SEO instructions.
If you’d like to see what I say about it at Ask-Us.biz, here’s the link to that post.
Now, back to work…
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Jul
2008
Erosion control: an experiment using sheep wool
July 26th, 2008 at 04:47 pm by Shari Thomas in Around the Farm, SheepOk, so I’ve got about 25 trash bags of fleece that is unacceptable to most hand spinners. It’s not enough to send to the “co-op” as you really need at least 100 times that amount.
The chickens are all comfy in their wool-lined nests and won’t need new wool for many months.
Experiment time!
I’ve heard about wool being used for erosion control when you need to soak up (or divert) moisture as there is a company in Oregon who is making such a product. They’re also making dog beds with 75% wool and 25% cedar chips (odor control).
Here on the desert, we rarely need “moisture control” aside from when the snow melts too fast, or we get a rare summer deluge. What we need more often is a way to keep our sand from going to the neighbor’s, and another neighbor’s sand from coming to visit our acreage.
Believe me, it’s not a pretty sight. You can’t breathe when sand is blowing all around, including into your house!
My thesis: Lay down raw wool on high erosion areas after clearing the area of any small vegetation. Weigh it down temporarily until adjacent blowing sand can impregnate the air around the fibers. In theory, the trapped sand will be unable to escape. That includes any sand trapped by the fibers as well as the sand underneath the wool.
I’ve read a number of studies out of eastern Canada and the United Kingdom regarding the use of “wool waste” for soil amendments, so perhaps we can get an additional benefit. With virtually no way to irrigate our acreage, whatever is eventually planted will need a relatively rich soil, with awesome moisture storage ability.
What I don’t really know is how long it will take for the wool to break down. I do know it’s pretty slow to decompose, however, I’m counting on UV degradation, as our sheep always have “sun-bleached tips”. I’m also thinking the abrasion from the sand will have some effect. If it takes a couple of years, and holds our sand in place, then that’s a good deal.
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Jan
2008
This winter sure isn’t like last winter
January 21st, 2008 at 04:21 pm by Shari Thomas in Around the Farm, Sheep, WeatherThis year, we’ve had a “January thaw”. Boy, really creates a mess, too.
This past summer, when we had to trench from the chicken water to lay the water line for the sheep, that meant disturbing a lot of the playa, the hard silica/sand crust that forms on the top of our soil.
We had snow at Christmas time, and I thought we’d be white until March, like last year. Well, that didn’t happen. We thawed.
You know what it’s like to trudge out twice a day in our boots? The mud is very slippery. The ground is frozen several inches down, so really, only the top couple inches of the playa have thawed.
For a while there was even standing water, thanks to a couple days of soaking rains. I felt so sorry for not only the horse, but the sheep and the chickens, too. When the dogs went out, they came in looking like little mud babies.
Sarah (my Finnish Spitz) hates the rain and the mud. She really doesn’t like getting her feet wet. She stands at the edge of the patio reaching out, but not quite touching the mud for a long time before finally getting desperate enough to brave the mud.
Now, Koda and Kiki just can’t wait for me to come in from the sheep pen. Not sure what the aroma is, but the taste is certainly irresistible. Their favorite time is when I settle into Bev’s big recliner and put my feet up, so they can reach my boots more easily.
Now, we’re awaiting another round of snow. This past week it’s been below freezing most of the time. We got that hay stack put down, but instead of rotating the hay, we just put the new stuff on the base of the old stack for now.
Then we moved a dozen bales up front for the sheep.
Our two boys, Algernon and Freezer (he’s really a wether) went to “ram camp” at the Davis farm today. Clyde and neighbor Bill came over to take charge of that operation. I horsed around with Freezer, trying to halter him, while Clyde lassoed and haltered Algernon.
With me in the back of the pick up, the guys lifted the two boys up into the pickup bed. Clyde joined us, and off we went, to Clyde’s farm. The boys are joining his young ram for summer camp. That gives both our ewe flocks peace and quiet for lambing.
Not to mention… no more having to carry a big stick when you go into the sheep pen. Even Cindy couldn’t stay clear of Algernon.
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Dec
2007
Time to catch you up on “winter in Beryl”
December 26th, 2007 at 03:39 pm by Shari Thomas in About Beryl, Around the Farm, Day off, Dogs, WeatherIt’s been a while since I posted pictures of life here in our little corner of the world.
One of our most prized possessions is our digital camera. It’s not real fancy, and we’ve had it for more than a couple of years… but we use it to record the good times and the bad. Even as relaxed as life is here… we use the camera a lot. It’s a huge memory helper!
The last photo journal was of all the “get ready for winter” projects; the wood is cut and stacked, the ewe’s are bred, the horses have new and expanded shelter, the hay is in and covered… and the chickens… well, they’re happy in their home, giving us nearly a dozen and a half eggs every day.
So, here goes… when it’s winter in Beryl, life slows down a lot…
The first week in December, just after getting the decorations up, we had snow in the late
evening. I was the only one still in my boots… so, here are two very quick pictures taken during the snow and wind. Later in the month, we had “thunder snow”, and twice we had to bundle up and hustle out to shore up the nativity scene and get the trees upright.
What an amazing site, to have the wind blowing better than 40 mph, snow coming down sideways, hearing thunder and seeing lightening within just a second as the storm passed directly over our house.
Sunrises are beautiful every morning… but some mornings they’re better than others. And yes… it’s really as cold as it looks.
We have time for more leisurely breakfasts, and with plenty of farm-fresh eggs, French Toast is a family favorite. Throughout the year, we most always have one meal together each day. On the weekends, it’s breakfast, generally on Saturday.
“Mom” always makes sure there’s enough for all five dogs, once we’ve had our fill. Now, the dogs… well, anytime we’re (make that “Mom”) are (is) at the table, once the serious cutting of food begins, it’s time to line up for “bites from the fork”.
This is December in Beryl. The first snow has come, and the very bright sunlight returned… time for some awesome picture-taking. About the only trees that grow well are the Chinese Elms. We have a row to the north of our driveway, and next year will plant a row on the south and then to the north west of the house to provide wind protection for the horses, and sheep.
The other day, Cindy heard a little noise outside her open bedroom window. Lo and behold here’s a little Screetch Owl, who’s obviously looking for a warm spot. He let me get as close as I wanted to get his picture. We’re not sure, but we think he’s probably the same little owl we found a week later in our driveway, cold and dead after yet another snow storm. Close inspection revealed a broken wing… was it a critter, or did he fly into the truck? We’ll probably never know.
Christmas in Beryl is fun… Bev plays Santa Claus (ok, so she’s not exactly “santa”) for the Senior Center. I thought this was a cute picture of “Mom” with Santa. Funny how their tops nearly match.
This year we got really lucky and “Santa” came to visit the dogs… boy, were they impressed. As long as Santa had treats, they thought that was pretty awesome, but pictures? Come on… as Coco put it… “You’ve got to be kidding!”
Kiki, Koda and Sarah figured Santa smelled familiar enough to hang around, especially since there were treats involved… the lunch mouths!
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Dec
2007
Starting my second year in Beryl…
December 12th, 2007 at 02:02 pm by Shari Thomas in Around the Farm, Chickens, Dogs, Horses, New Life, Sheep, Weather, WormsThat’s right, I got here a year ago yesterday. The weather is eerily similar. There’s snow on the ground and we’ll be lucky to get above freezing today.
So, what have I helped get done in the past year?
The first project was to help get the sheep bred. That was the “cross-country hike” in boot-high snow with our two ewes to the neighbor’s farm. Of course we also had “the great sheep roundup”.
Next up, we built the chicken coop and got the little birds… how grateful we are for the fresh eggs. Can’t say we’re totally thrilled with the meat as we let the boys get a few weeks too old. It’s tasty… but chewy.
All winter long, and into the summer I helped with hauling hay, a chore that definitely put my body to the test. We now have enough animals that we can purchase our hay by the ton and get it delivered.
We built raised beds for a vegetable garden. After two years here, the family finally had a few veggies from the garden. Nothing to store away… but at least I’ve shown that it is possible to grow stuff here.
We’ve got the worm bin started. In fact, we’ve got two now. That amounts to about 10k or so worms happily munching their way through shredded paper and fighting for leftovers that don’t go to the chickens.
I raised my first “bummer lamb”. Freezer is still with us. Guess we’ll keep him for company of our ram, “Algernon”.
My suspicions about Chiquita a Polypay sheep that was supposed to be a ewe. “She” had horns, and like to butt whatever was in her sight. About May, her baaa began sounding like she had laryngitis, and got really deep. Our shearer (named “Flip”) confirmed she really was “Bruce”… and away he went… couldn’t produce a lamb, so of no value to us.
In May, we went to see Clinton Anderson “Down Under Horsemanship” and I got the bug… my prayers were answered late in summer when our mentor asked us to keep her yearling, Dakota.
Until the weather turned sour, I’d been training her in the round pen. It will be a couple years before she’s ready to ride, but want her to have solid ground training first.
In November, our ram returned from a visit to a neighboring farm to do his studly stuff. In about a week, he bred each of our girls… oh yes, our mentor had sold us the rest of her black Merino sheep. I am the shepherdess!
So, what about Sarah, the “Spinach Fits”… aka Finnish Spitz?
She’s loving every minute here. I don’t let her get up in the computer chair so she’ not been able to update her blog for a few months. She’s growing quite a crop of fur… even beginning to look like a Finnish Spitz.
She’s learned beds (the one’s belonging to us humans) are for sleeping on… and she wants her half out of the middle. She gets along well with the other dogs, unless they step on her feet… then she creates a real ruckus.
She’s discovered the chickens, sheep, and horses as well as lots of rabbit holes. About once a month, we go out on the acreage and “hunt”. Other than that, she has the run of the big back lot, where she and the other dogs dig, run and wrestle to their hearts’ content.
Most recently, I’ve chosen to get back into network marketing with a company called BookWise. It’s something that makes total sense for folks who live in “the boonies”. You buy books, we donate a portion of the profits to help children learn to read, and get away from abuse.
I would say, I’ve had a most fulfilling and successful year!
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