After the Storm... (Jen)

Last night we had a really bad storm, solid lightening, straightline winds (65-70 mph) and rain for 2 hrs. Started around 3am. Electricity went off around 3:30. Me and the dogs (Fynn, Sophie and Nora) sat huddled in the living room waiting for the roof to fly off. The lightening was so intense and so constent that you couldn't look the window for more than a few seconds without being blinded. At one point I looked out the kitchen window (to see if the wicked witch of the west was flying by) and the young sweet gum was practically horizontal. I knew it was bad.

One perfect day at Dreamcatcher Farm (Bridget)

It was the perfect day to walk around the back 30 acres where the three horses pasture. We wanted to see how the grass was coming along as it had pretty much been eaten down last year when we pastured several horses for some friends.The day was glorious-perhaps the last real spring day of the year. We followed the horse paths as the grass had indeed recovered. And unfortunately the poison ivy had also made a good comeback! The wild rose bushes were in full bloom punctuating the pasture with their draping pink and white flowers. The cherry trees were past bloom but the wild asters were arriving as the purple clover. The catalpa trees are leafing out nicely as were the redbuds which have shed their purple flowers. As we looked over at the pasture where the lambs were grazing the slight breeze made the grass heads roll in waves as the lambs grazed leisurely.

April Showers....bah humbug! (Jen)

It just goes along with Spring. Every year I now curse the skies about this time and I despise the merry saying "April showers bring May flowers".

2009 Lambing (part 2 - Bridget)

We are now on the tail end of lambing. Pun intended. We have one and possibly two Ewes to lamb. We have 20 lambs so far.

It is interesting to watch the different personalities develop. We have Evie -a bottle lamb who loves to play with the Border collies and follows Jen on all her chores. She was rejected by Cybil who only loves Lucy her other twin. Then there is Nike a black ram lamb who was one of the triplets born to Nan. He too loves human company and stands out with his black fleece doted by streaks of white. The crybaby of the group is a white Cheviot born to Daisy. She has a ba on her that could shatter glass! And she has a whole lot to say.

Lambing 2009

Well the city woman got her education on real farm life this lambing season. Last year we bemoaned the fact that we missed the birth of all the lambs. Not so this year. Oh no definitely not so this year.

It started so nicely. One of the Cheviots had twins and Jen was there to describe it to me over the phone. Daisy knew what to do and nicely went into her pen to drink her molasses water and the lambs began to nurse and all was well.

Horse Sense (Bridget)

Just after we had made the deal for the farm, we were there while the previous owner was moving out. In the pasture were two quarter horses. He inquired if we would like to buy them. Well, romantic notions about horses from when I was a kid ran through my head. Have always loved them but really know nothing about them. Asked if they could be ridden "oh yes and the mare is bred". So, on an impulse I bought Gracie a beautiful grey roan quarter horse. My education was about to begin.

Winter update & getting ready for lambing! (Jen)

Its been a while since my last entry, not a lot going on in January, just waiting for those lambs to grow and preparing for shearing. I've been building lambing pens, cleaning out barns and arranging things so they'll be as conveninent as possible. Since this is just our second year, I still don't have a pattern or set routine but I'm sure that will come with years of practice.

Shelves were one thing I wanted and didn't have last year. Shelves and hooks to hang things on so those were some new additions to the lambing shed. Creative uses for cattle panels emerge almost weekly, what did we do before those things?? I swear I'm going to find a use for them in the house one of these days...something to hang pots off of :)!