June 16-21, 2012

June 16, 2012 Saturday
Another very fine day, just perfect temperature with a light breeze to blow away bugs.
The sheep area showing some progress in keeping their lambs organized. Linda and Jacob go out regularly.
Nancy worked all afternoon and into the evening. She planted the corn, Bodacious and some saved seed from last year of variegated.
Mitra called to tell me of her day of taking her meat birds to be dressed off. She received 103 chicks from the hatchery and took 103 birds today. This is unusual. One six pounder had a heart attack while she, Roshan and her helper, a young man named Lou, were loading the birds into crates, but she was able to keep him alive until they reached the processor.
June 17, 2012 Sunday
Some people I met for the first time arranged to borrow the hay elevator. They live nearby and have horses. They are buying local hay.
Shireen dug a bucket load of burdock for Nellie’s calving. It is supposed to suppress edema.
When Shireen came home from work she found the sheep all over the front lawn. The lambs can get through the flabby front door of the barn. No doubt a couple of them got out and the ewes then forced the door the rest of the way. Shireen helped me get them back in.
June 18, 2012 Monday
The weather continues fine.
Fern came in with her right flank so dirty that I had to scrape her with the flat side of the shovel. And Nancy had just spread new bedding. Eew.
I could only find eight eggs. Somebody needs to go on a serious egg hunt.
Shireen brought me my grain and eight boxes of local strawberries. They are absolutely delicious.
Mitra is still awaiting Nellie’s calf. It must be any minute.
June 20, 2012 Wednesday
Definitely the hottest day of the year. In the 90’s. It was hard to function.
Fern gave her customary 2 ½ gallons. Nancy worked on clearing brush along the electric fence until the heat became too much. We froze 8 pints of strawberries.
Right now I am waiting for it to be dark in hopes that the sheep will come in by themselves. I tried earlier to get them in but no luck. Half ran back every time half came in. Either they come in by themselves or the coyotes can have them. It is too hot.
Later…. They did come in but not before forcing open the flappy front door irretrievably. Tomorrow I will have to devise a new closure. Some were on the front lawn. Willie did his best to help round them up.
Shireen arrived in time to share my supper. We had asparagus and a bit of steak.
June 21, 2012 Thursday
The weather continues wilting hot, in the 90’s with high humidity. I can barely function and got little accomplished today. My fingers stick to the computer keys.
I found a tiny chick this morning that was lost from its mother hen. I caught it and carried it around looking for a hen but no luck so I helped it to get a drink and let it go in hopes that its mother would turn up. This evening I found another tiny chick and caught it and set it up with yogurt in a big tub. Then the one I released this morning appeared at the edge of a weed patch with Tamworth, the fluffy cat, eyeing it closely. I grabbed the chick and added it to the tub and helped it eat some yogurt. In this heat they will not be cold. Maybe tomorrow I will find their mother. The best time to reintroduce chicks is at night.
Nancy was here working on brush clearing along the electric fence line. She came early and got out of the sun at 11.
Tomorrow I will be away overnight to Mark and Annie’s graduation party to honor the Senior Residents. After a brief holiday they will take up Fellowships as Hospitalist and Geriatric Specialist.
I was away from my computer Friday night. This is being written on Saturday. Friday was even hotter.
After morning milking I let Ella out of the paddock where she has been living alone so that she would not drink all Fern’s milk. This was the only way I felt able to leave. Ella was in roaring heat. Before leaving I discovered the missing mother hen with 8 chicks and took the chance of setting the two that I had in a tub down amongst her flock, praying that they would be accepted. One has an injured leg and barely walks but is very game.
DIL Amy and the kids came to pick me up. We had some lunch before setting out for Biddeford. Shireen was here to watch over the farm and I asked Nancy to check in on Saturday morning. It was my first night away from the farm in several years. I saw Martin and Amy’s home for the first time. It is a large new house in a suburban neighborhood in the New England style of architecture and backs up to heavily wooded public land, very charming. I took a quick walk into the woods before taking a shower and nap and getting dressed for the dinner and ceremony at a country club in Falmouth.
It was a joyful occasion with a larger crowd than I expected, everyone smartly dressed. An amazing number of people came up to me to say how much they love Mark and have enjoyed working with him. John and Woody Dhyrburg, who have been so very helpful to Mark over the years, were there. Unfortunately DIL Annie’s parents could not make it this time; they would have heard an equal number of favorable comments about Annie. Mark’s daughter Hailey was also there looking very sweet, home for the summer from her first year at UVt.
Little Hannah and Henry were with us and were very well behaved. The presentations lasted until quite late, 10pm. I guess H&H are party people.
While we were at the gala, Mitra’s cow Nellie calved at 6:00 p.m. She describes it as “textbook”. Mitra and her DD Roshan stood back mostly and watched while cheering Nellie on. Roshan took some amazing pictures of the birth. They left Nellie to clean and dry her calf. Two hours later Nellie and her calf were standing outside the barn and the calf was trying to nurse. With little help or interference from Mitra or Roshan, the calf figured it out. It’s another heifer. They have named her Winnie.