It’s been awhile…

It’s been awhile since I’ve posted.  Didn’t want you all to think I forgot about you.  We have been so very busy around our little homestead.  We have new sheep that must be quarantined in separate pens for two weeks to avoid any sickness spreading throughout the flock.  So far they are doing absolutely wonderful.  We have a ewe, Minnie, a ram lamb, Cash, and a yearling ram, Merle to go with our other ram, Toby.  A few country singers were our inspiration for the names.  LOL

Friday, Dad and I took a ram lamb to the vet for doctoring.  When I returned home a friend, her daughter, and little cousin came over to spend the afternoon and go swimming.  The girls were wonderful, and my friend and I had a great time chatting, swimming, and enjoying the sunshine.

Saturday morning was spent building new pens in our lot to start drying off our ewes.  We have Texel sheep who are heavy milkers, so we will be separating one or two off at a time, milking them out, and keeping them off food and water or minimal roughage and water to ensure their milk supply dries up and they remain mastitis free.

Saturday afternoon we baled and hauled in barley straw from the field before more rain moved in.  Sunday morning we wormed sheep and milked out our first victim of weaning and drying off.  The first two ewes are our favorite little girls, so hopefully everything goes well for them and us.  Sunday afternoon we took our llama, Hank, over to a wonderful couple from our church to have his hooves trimmed.  They even offered to shear him while we were there, so Hank got the spa treatment.  They show llamas, so Hank got to chat a little with llamas for the afternoon instead of just sheep.  If you’ve never heard a llama talk/cry you must visit a llama farm someday.  It’s the sweetest thing I have ever heard.  LOL 

Once we dropped Hank off at home we headed to the field to pick up the remainder of the barley straw.  232 are safely tucked away in the hay shed at Grandma’s until we need it this winter. 

Dh and I rushed home that evening for a quick swim before starting our evening chores.  By the end of the evening we were exhausted and not ready to start another week.  However, at 4:15 sharp the alarm was buzzing and I was up and beginning my Monday.  It was raining, thundering, and lightening this morning.  All the windows in the house were open; a cool breeze was blowing through the house, oh how I wanted to curl back up in bed with my husband and sleep. 

The garden is producing tomatoes, cucumbers, and turnips.  Life is good!  I lost both my squash plants and my zucchini (was able to harvest one zucchini that was delicious).  I suspect squash bugs, but am worried about grub worms below ground.  The only time in my gardening life I would pray for squash bugs : )    The chickens are praying ‘grub worms.’  They know they will be released on the garden if this is in fact the case. 

We did have corned been and zucchini along with fresh sliced tomatoes and cucumbers for dinner last night.  It was nice to have something other than ham sandwiches : )

Hope everyone has a wonderful week.