The farm house

The farm house

Wednesday, March 26, 2014

Signs of Spring...

Signs of spring are about despite freezing my ar-- off and seeing quite a bit of snow left on the ground. The weather forecast for the weekend is promising-rain and warmer temperatures. I will be pleased when there is no bloody windchill to accompany the actual temperature.

Another sign is horses shedding- no pic for that as there is too many "poopy" things on the floor. You get that picture. Yesterday,I discovered a strange cat living in my basement which explains why the dog would sniff at the door( she will not go in the basement) Also,my cats would hiss quite a bit when dining... I also have a Starling in the attic,mice in the feed bin and the worst yet, I saw a coyote across the field. Not cool. I would be naive to believe that my farm,as little as it may be would be untouched by that part of nature. So,fences a most definite item on my Spring list of very important items to secure. Putting it all in, now that's another headache for another day.

Still no lambs- I think my ewes are smarter than anyone else's. They are waiting for cleaner bedding and warmer days. Yah, that's it!! Meanwhile,I still have nice wool for sale!!




I fell sorry for those Easterners that must endure another blast of winter.. I'm sure everyone is wondering "Will it ever end ?"
So for now, I will be knitting- getting ready to add to my inventory for the Kemptville Farmer's market- I will be a vendor there this year. I hope to see some of you there!

Saturday, March 15, 2014

Mid March Morning

I just spent an hour shoveling horse poop. I see no need in posting photos about that. It is a warm day so I am taking advantage of the fact that not"all" the poop is frozen, but there certainly is a layer below that is. The wheel on my wheel barrow is flat. We can't find the puncture. Last Saturday, we spent some time at the neighbors replacing tubes, valves, using the air compressor to fill and then soaped it with soap you use to clean milking equipment(-yup-dairy farm neighbors) and still there is a mysterious leak. So, lots of poop. Lots of dirty bedding also that I need to get out;sadly I must buy a new tire -_-.

Prior to shoveling,I made my way out to Vernon to meet with two people. I decide to abstain from the bird auction because honestly, I have very little funds this week,and a new tire to buy. I did meet with these folks to purchase a dozen Ameracauna eggs(blue/green) and 5 blue laced Wyandottes. As much as I like hatching my own, the ladies aren't laying as they should and new genes are welcome. So, tomorrow the eggs will be put in the incubator. The Farmer's Almanac states tomorrow as a good date for setting eggs. Cool!




I've decided that some of the roosters I have will be sent to the South Mountain auction next month. I am now officially launching myself wholeheartedly into farming. Yes folks, in desperation I applied to Tim Horton's (popular doughnut and coffee store for the American followers who don't know)and guess what? I did not get the job. For a fleeting moment, I was not sure whether to be disappointed or relieved.

So stay tuned for more farm antics.I'm considering purchasing a milking goat in order for me to legally sell my goat's milk soap. No, not mid-life crisis. After all how many of crises can you have??

Monday, March 10, 2014

A Knitting Lesson

Yesterday, I spent an afternoon teaching a good friend to knit! She desperately wanted to knit the "Penguin jumpers" that were seen on the news and on Facebook. However, as creative and craft oriented as she was, she had never learned to knit.

So Jen came over for a one-on-one session. she's a quick learner even with some wine ! I firmly believe that if one has a gift, skill, ability whatever you want to call it, that at some time it is good to give back to society with that gift for free. It won't kill you and it doesn't take away too much of your income. It's almost like a social obligation...

This is the back of the penguin jumper. The front is constructed the same way. I used Briggs and Little Sport weight with which I had experimented some hand painting !


It was great fun and no tears were shed. It made me realize that no matter how low or down things may seem, you can always find something or some way to give back! I may just hang a shingle for private lessons! This proves once again that knitting is a wonderful thing!

Wednesday, March 5, 2014

Aching For Acres

I suffer from an interminable case of acre envy. I am limited with just under 5 acres of property wherein my house and 2 outbuildings are located. Also, the in-ground pool which I do call the "cement pond" as there was once a turtle swimming in there, occupies some prime real estate. This leaves me pondering if I should sell off the horses? Lease some land from the neighbours? Buy land from neighbours? Sell my house and move to more acres? Because, I would like to farm bigger.

That being said, I believe that there is a market for my lovely wool and would like to expand. However, 5 acres makes rotational grazing very important and must be adhered to in order to get the maximum use of every little piece of land. My sheep currently reside in the barn as my fencing is not secure and there is no pasture-all snow. Another expense for the spring... I currently have 9 ewes. If they were bred this Fall, imagine the population boom! Now, imagine feeding them all. I don't have the capability to produce my own hay...If the sheep could graze on pasture, it's less expensive.

So, the most likely is sell the horses. Which, takes time, which is tricky because one is my son's and because I am emotionally attached to the hay burners. If I moved, I want this house on more acres. Perhaps I should just ask the neighbours when they plan to retire, how much they want for the piece of land next to my house...and then watch me pull a rabbit out of my a_ _se, because that's what it's going to take to make it happen. Kind of like what I did in order to get this house. So, yes, anything is possible if you are determined enough to follow through.

By the way, in a fit of desperation, last week I applied to Tim Horton's. Oh, yes, I did. And guess what, they haven't called for an interview either. If I did not have such evidence to back it up, I would come to the conclusion that I was meant to be my own boss, my own farming boss... Ponder that!