Saturday, September 08, 2012

On again off again showers this morning before drying out enough for Nancy to mow the grass.

Martin, Abby and I finally got organized to band the tails on the four lambs.  It was hard work. What big bounders they are now at close to five months. Abby had to trim some wool off of their tails before Martin could get the Elastrator on them. When it was done they did not act as though they even cared. But maybe they are feeling insulted and ashamed of their funny appearance. This evening the ewes are standing at the barn blatting to come in and the lambs are not showing up.

With major help from Abby, I canned eight pints of tomatoes and four quarts. They are beautiful with all the different colors, red, pink and yellow. More tomatoes are coming on but just since yesterday the vines have been hit by blight and are all yellowed and withered.

I joined Martin and the kids for pizza at their camp. A great storm is whipping  up with high wind and white caps on the lakae. Martin secured the boats more tightly. The lambs finally came running in.

Monday, September 10, 2012

Ther weather has cooled down a lot. It got down to 45F last night.

The recent rains have brought on a lot of new grass that the cows and sheep are enjoying.

Last evening I heard a fox bark and this morning a lovely family of a hen and 9 chicks had vanished. Such a disappointment.  Those chicks were among the prettiest I have ever seen.

Another new family of 10 chicks showed up while I was milking. I heard all  kinds of peeping and found the hen in the main aisle clucking to her chicks on the floor above coaxing them plummet down about 6 ft.  They all did it.

Abby and I took a walk along the river with Willie dog. I thought we might find the fox’s den or some feathers or some apples or at least some mushrooms. But none of the above. All we brought home was more tomatoes from my garden. There are no apples at all this year on my farm unless there is a wild tree somewhere that I have missed. I have never known it so barren of apples. This is due to the hot spell last February followed by very cold weather. The buds were killed.

Abby made an excellent cheesecake yesterday using quark instead of the ricotta that the recipe called for. To make quark all I am doing is draining well flavored clabber through a linen cloth for a few hours.

Tuesday, September 11, 2012

I witnessed something interesting with the sheep. The old ewe, Agnes (4), has been spending a lot of time by herself because the others have been ignoring her and following Susie (3). She blats for them endlessly. This morning when I went to let them out instead of lying around chewing cud they were all on their feet. The lambs (4 ½  mo) were watching Agnes and Susie having a fight. They were butting heads like rams. I thought I could hear Agnes saying “What’s that you called me?” Wham...and Agnes answering “You heard me right”.. Wham. They kept it up until I got tired of watching and ran them out. Later today I was out on the deck and Agnes was by herself in the cavernous area under the carriage house blatting way. The others were far down near the river. She marched out to the brow of the hill and blatted for them and they all came trotting up to her. So for  now at least it looks like she won the battle over who is boss.

DD Abby and I both saw the optometrist today. He says my WMD remains stable in my left eye and the MD in my right eye also is the same as six months ago

Wednesday, September 12, 2012

More fine weather today, warm but not hot with blue sky.

Nancy set out the big box of blooming Helenium that DD Sally planted last spring from seed. They are a perennial and I hope prove hardy. She attempted to set out the showy Rudbeckia, also planted from seed by Sally. She just got everything arranged in the bed I suggested when she noticed a big hornets nest in the lilac just above her head. The residents were buzzing around her but thank goodness she did not get stung.

Thursday, September 13, 2012

The excellent weather continues.

One of our three cats has gone missing, Cecil, the sleek grey fellow. I suppose a fox got him. We are sad about this. He was Abby’s favorite.

Abby and I went to Rumford again and I ordered glasses for use at the computer. We stopped at the fish market on the way home and bought scallops and corn for our supper. We have one great meal after another that money couldn’t buy. We also had sliced tomatoes and cucumbers from the garden.

Friday, September 14, 2012

It was actually hot today, 80F and humid but I still enjoyed it. I walked down to Pocket Field, the farthest field. There are some apple trees at the edge of the gully that I thought might be bearing, but no. I also checked the sand bank as there are often woodchuck holes or a foxes’ den but I found none of those either. However there is an animal trail all the way from the barn that something  is using. What I did find is another place the fence is down. It is only between the North and South fields, not somewhere they could leave the farm. One good report: the grass in Pocket Field is up 10” and in fine condition. I did not walk its entire periphery so did not leave the gate open for the cows but will hope to get someone soon to walk the line and report. Fern could use some better grass.

Abby and I had a lovely 2-woman picnic at the lake. I made a yogurt and cucumber salad, she made wonderful spaghetti and we stopped at the Weld General store and bought ice cream for sundaes. We had hopes that Cousins Holly and Richard would join us but probably we called too late for them to make plans.