Building Project, Interrupted by an Injury

Kelly is only working four days a week now.  He doesn't work on Wednesday any more, so I decided to take today off work to help finish up a couple of projects.  When school starts again, I won't be able to take time off like that, so I figured I should do it while I can!  We decided to continue with our inside-the-big-barn coop project.  We have lost some chickens and had others with frozen feet and toes.  I really get upset about that, so it was time to build a better indoor coop.  We decided to build an 8x8 coop for nighttime use only, inside our Wick Building.

In one corner of the building, we have a 4 x 8 foot brooder for chicks, so we decided to build the larger coop next to that.  Here you can see the overall view of it.  It's built from chipboard mostly, framed with 2x4 lumber.

The main thing we had to do, once the walls were up, was install some insulation.  We used skirtings from our fleeces last year (llama and sheep) that we had kept in bags in the basement, not sure what to do with them!  Suddenly, they were very handy!  We stuffed them down the back wall as the boards went up, along with some foamboard insulation that we had found at a garage sale for $2.  That fully insulated the back wall (which is chipboard framed up against the side of the metal barn wall).

The roof went on, and that was suddenly an excellent new site for storage of things, such as fencing supplies, the summer grass catcher for the mower, spare animal crates, and other such infrequently needed items.  It also gave us more floor space in the barn!  Hooray!

We had a huge bag of R30 fiberglass insulation that we had obtained from someone who was moving and didn't need it.  This proved to be the right opportunity for using it.  Unfortunately, we determined that some mice had made it their home in the barn for a time, but they had vacated.  Despite a few holes, it was still perfectly usable for the ceiling of the new coop.  Kelly decided that it should go up and be covered in black garbage bags.  I had my doubts, which I expressed, but being a woman who likes to be proven right, I let him try....

and try....

 ...and try some more...

...and then he realized it wasn't working, because the staples were pulling through the plastic which is exactly what I said would happen.  Ah, the stubborn streak of the male always arises when construction is underway!!  We then rolled up the bags to make "straps" of a sort, and pushed in the insulation to sort of "hang" it there.

Then, we used some Ondura roofing that we had left over from another project to sandwich the insulation against the ceiling.  We then tucked more skirted fleece in along the sides.

It's nearly done now, except for some roosts and the door.  Kelly went to pick up some hay, so I've come in to write a blog while I recuperate from the injury about to be revealed.  We shall continue with construction later.

At one point we decided the little goatie girls needed grain.  I went in to converse with the little goatie girls and realized a hoof trimming was in order.  I asked Kelly to bring grain and the hoof trimmers, since I was already in the pen with said goatie girls.  I was seated on the ground, holding Opal, who is a darling little goat and not at all difficult.  I had my back to Kelly.  He brought the grain and dumped it over the fence.  He forgot the trimmers entirely.  So, Opal gleefully leapt out of my arms to get at the grain, which was supposed to be a post-trimming treat, and put her horn nearly all the way through the side of my nose in the process.

There was a great deal of blood and a great deal of wailing and commotion and a very sheepish (goatish?) Kelly who realized he had done entirely the wrong thing and had forgotten the entire reason for the grain and meanwhile I was running for the house with blood dripping off the tip of my nose and a hand covered in blood at the same time from holding it to my nose.  Dreadful.

Anyway, after clean up, I realized that it wasn't broken, but it was a very deep cut in the side of my nose below the bridge, that went almost through to the other side.  I am here to tell you that it didn't feel at all good, but I shall survive.  It is now properly bandaged and antibiotic-ointmented, although it does throb rather a lot.  it's a nice straight cut though, so hopefully it will heal well. 

And yes, for anyone who is concerned, I have had my tetanus shot as part of my immigration process about 7.5 years ago and they said it was good enough to last for 10 years.  Whew!

Sheep of the Century

Well, my name is Marshmallow, but of course most of you know me already. 

I have been featured quite frequently on this blog in the past, but you know, I don't have my own blog.  I said to Mom (well, she's not my biological mom, but you know, she's better than a biological mom really), "Why is it that all these goats have their own blogs and I don't have a blog?" and she said that we already have a blog but it's for the whole farm and not just me.  And I said I wanted my own blog and she said that was a bit much and I didn't want to be all pushy like those goats.  She said it's important for all the animals here to have their blog time.  I said we should all have blogs then, and she said that would be a full time job.  What is that supposed to mean?  Like she has something else to do? 

So anyway, we talked about it for a while and she said I can do today's post.  I'm not good at typing because I'm very busy being the ideal sheep and I don't have time for things like typing lessons, so she's being the typist and I'm just telling her what to type.  I like that sort of leadership role.  It's my destiny you know.

There has been all this business lately about the Goat of the Year.  Did you see all that?  If not, you can click here to see it.  You'll have to scroll down to see the whole mess of it, but there was a poll for these goats who all know each other and nobody nominated them in the first place for that award.  I admit they are nice goats, but they all got back-stabby and nasty and were being snide about each other.  And there were certain discrepancies with the voting that seem to have been glossed over.  It was a testament to the fickle nature of goats.  Sheep are much more steady.  You know where you are with sheep.  Goats are flighty and obstreperous.  They probably don't even know what that means, so I made it linked to its definition, in case they get around to reading this blog post.  We have goats here on the farm too.  But this post is not goat-centric, so enough about them.

I would just like to say that around here, there is no need for a Sheep of the Year poll, because clearly I am it.
I will always be it.  I suppose one day, when I pass into the everlasting pasture that Mother Earth has set aside for me, then I might let somebody else be Sheep of the Year, but until then, really, there is no need.  First of all, I am the only sheep who has lived in the people house for over 2 months. 

None of the other sheep have really lived in the people house at all.  One was in there once for a couple of hours but that's it.  So I have special privileges entitling me to a higher status. For example, I am the official yarn tester.

I remind you here that I even had morning snuggle privileges.  Of course, I don't do that now because I live outside.  That's a lamb activity, and I'm a sheep now.

Second of all, I am remarkably cute.  There is no denying this.  It's just the way it is.  I was cute from Day 1.

Third of all, I follow Mom like a puppy.  I stay right on her heels most of the time.  Occasionally, there might be an interesting bit of grass for me to investigate, or a really prime dandelion specimen, but otherwise, I am right there.  Dependable.  Reliable.  I even helped her with making some crocheted booties.

Oh, fourth of all, I am the only sheep on the farm that gets to run around outside the pasture fence.  This is because I am dependable and reliable.  I don't go places that I shouldn't and I stay close to Mom in case she needs me.  In addition, I freely fertilize the entire acreage for Mom's benefit, so she can grow more plants that might be good for me to eat.  Of course, when Mom goes into the people house, she puts me back in the pasture, because we don't want the other sheep to stage a riot. 

Fifth of all, I talk.  The other sheep bleat and carry on with no particular thought in mind.  I'm different.  I call to Mom specifically when I see her come outside the people house, because I know that the only reason she has come outside is to see where I am and to ensure that I am alright.  Isn't that sweet of her?  Sometimes, she pretends that she hasn't come outside just to see me, and she carries on with other chores, but I can see her looking at me in her peripheral vision.  (that's another term the goats won't understand).  I specifically outline my grain and hay and water needs on a daily basis, because with Mom saying she's so busy and all, I wouldn't want her to forget my requirements.  She met my requirements so well when I lived in the people house.

So all of this, combined with my many other talents and abilities, make me the perfect sheep, even though I'm not full grown.  It was evident from my birth that I was quite perfect.  My biological mother seemed to overlook this fact, but really I know she was just intimidated by my perfection and she needed Mom to take me and raise me.  So, there is no Sheep of the Year poll on Whispering Acres Farm.  And, don't be fooled by the fact that other lambs are going to be due starting in February.  That's quite irrelevant.  I am it.  Enough said.

The New Year Dawns

Today was a gorgeous sunrise.  I watched the glow fill the sky and the sun, behind some clouds, looked like a big shiny puddle in the sky - sort of liquid and molten.

I have a sun catcher given to me by a friend, hanging in my window.  To me, it is a representation of Mother Earth embracing the sky.  I had to take a picture as the sun was rising beside that sun catcher.  To me it seemed to embody the hope and promise of a new year.

It is going to be a tough year.  I have a very heavy course schedule for the entire year, including the summer, and it begins on January 17.  I will face it, I will conquer it, and I will be very happy to have it finished.  This should be my last full year working as a patent agent, because next year, part-way through, I hope to pass the bar exam and become a patent attorney.  But that's next year, so I have to focus on this one first.

It is going to be an exciting year.  We have 14 ewes that are (we think) bred and 4 goats as well.  There will be a lot of new lives here between February 16 and May 20 (or so).  I can't wait to welcome them, and if I have to skip class to help with lamb births, I will be ready and willing!  Here are four of last year's ewe lambs having their morning grain.

We might show sheep for the first time this year at the Wisconsin Sheep & Wool Festival, if we can work with them enough to get them arena-ready.  I'm also excited about a visit from a dear friend of mine from home - she's coming for my birthday!  In addition, my parents will visit again sometime in late spring.  I'm excited to spend time with those I love.

It is going to be a year of change.  My wonderful assistant at work was promoted into a new position and I am thrilled for her because she deserves to be recognized for all that she does.  However, that means that I'm presently involved in the search for a new assistant, and I spent several hours on the phone yesterday (and even a bit today) doing interviews with selected candidates.  Even though there is much potential, it will be a big change for me to work with someone new after almost 8 years, and I hope it will go smoothly.  I admit that I do have my doubts.

It is going to be a year of building.  We are still working on building our new (to us) barn that we bought on Craig's List.  We have decided to hire someone to do the roof and siding.  Once that is complete, we will build some framing inside it and build new pens, a little room for us to sleep in if we need to do so while lambing or kidding is occurring, and also some hay storage.  We are building a new chicken coop and new sheep shelter.  We have a huge fence project to be done this spring.  I do hope it all gets done!

Hopefully, it will be a year of new firsts.  And here is a new bird on the suet feeder today, to start the list!  It's a red-bellied woodpecker.  We have seen them before in the woods, but not on our feeders. As you can see, the blue jay was also visiting.  A handsome and well behaved line-up at the feeder today!

Best wishes to all my blog readers for the new year - I hope it will hold much happiness and promise for all of you.

I do love a nice bit of fat for breakfast!

Well not me personally of course, but the woodpecker does!  He was telling me this very morning as he sat outside on the bag of suet with seeds. 

"Good morning Claire"

"Good morning Mr. Woodpecker!"

"I do love a nice bit of fat for breakfast."

"Well that's why I put it out for you.  I love to watch you eating your breakfast - it gives me a lovely view while I eat mine.  Admittedly mine is yogurt, and not fat."

"Well, you get to sit at your desk all day.  I have to flutter about and use all that energy."

"I know!  And it's cold out there!"

"Yes, ooooh, and sometimes the wind blows under my feathers!  Brrrr!"

"I see your friend the chickadee is out there with you."

"I tolerate him.  He doesn't eat too much of my fat."

"How generous of you."

"I manage to catch fat crumbs with my tail you know, so I lay it out like a napkin, and then I can clean up after myself"

"You are clever!"

"I know."

"Well, I must go to work.  I'll leave you to your breakfast."

"Right, see you tomorrow then.  I'll let you know when I need more fat put out."

"Indeed.  Stay warm!"

(demanding little birds, aren't they!)

The good and the not so good

It's Christmas.  Not one of the more memorable ones for me.  Pardon me if I go on a bit of a self pity party here, but it's really hard when your family is really far away.  It's three days drive for me to visit my parents in Canada, which we did last year, but the usual 33 hour drive turned into 48 on account of the weather.  The only other family I have are my 3 first cousins in England, which I can't drive to in any event.  So I stayed here, because we had things to get done. 

It snowed all night and all day too.  We couldn't have driven anywhere even if we wanted to.  This morning we went out to find two chickens had died in the night, likely due to the cold.  Then, the tractor got stuck.  It was high centered on some ice and snow.  Unfortunately, Kelly hadn't found time to take off the mowing deck in the fall, so it got stuck on that, which shouldn't even have been an issue at this time of year.  It took him about 3 hours to get it unstuck.  After which, he promptly got it stuck again.  Sigh.

I cleaned out the office closet, which had been terribly messy and disorganized. I also began some sorting in the basement.  I am pleased with what I accomplished.  It still needs work though.  I made cheese and herb biscuits for lunch, and opened some wax-covered cheese that I had been saving for a special day, but it was moldy, so I had to throw it away.  For supper, I am having leftover macaroni and cheese and a half a pork chop.  Not very festive, is it.  Maybe we'll go out for supper tomorrow.

We have been taking care of a friend's two greyhounds (one of whom is a litter mate to ours) for the last 9 days.  One of them has peed on the floor every single day since we've had her, and sometimes she has done more than that, the record being 2 poops and 4 pees in one day.  She has not been like this before and it's making us a little crazy.  However, she likes to lay down next to my spinning wheel.  Poor girl, maybe she is stressed like me.

The high point of the day was this morning when we opened the gifts my parents sent.  Last year, I was just learning about needle felting when I went home for Christmas, and I brought some wool and felting needles to my Mom.  She has outdone herself with her skills - she has such an artistic talent.  She made me a beautiful needle felted sculpture of a ewe and her lamb!  Look at that!!  It's gorgeous!

They also sent a beautiful matted photograph from a sheep farm in Nova Scotia.  I can't wait to get it framed and hang it in a special place.  Those cute sheep ornaments in the front include a knitted one my mother sent me, and two from our friend Corinne at Crosswind Farm.  We love our sheep!

My mother also sent me a beautiful beaded evening purse which will see a lot of use when we go to wine tastings and the gourmet dinner series offered by our local culinary school.   It's so elegant!

My parents and I are long-time fans of Lee Valley Tools, and they sent Kelly and I an assortment of wonderful things, including the nylon nail brushes (they are the best nail brushes ever!), some small tools for Kelly, a woodworking calendar for Kelly, and a mini microscope with 20x and 40x magnification for us to use to do fecal worm egg counts on our sheep.  I know, it doesn't sound glamorous, but I tell you, it's worth more than its weight in gold for us!

I managed to find a tie with sheep on it for Kelly (along with a wolf in sheep's clothing).  I thought it was pretty funny and he doesn't have a tie in this colour scheme, so he was really pleased with it.  

Kelly's mom gave me a really neat set of glass coasters that you can insert your own pictures into, and she also gave us both gift cards earlier this month, which are wonderful and which we shall both use soon on much needed purchases.  We also had some great cookies from their family celebration. 

Oh, and to end on a humorous note, Kelly found me a very appropriate Christmas card.  Love it!

Time....is flowing like a....(raging white water) river....

At this time of year, I am abruptly and rather unpleasantly reminded that most of the time, I try to do too much and I am entirely too busy.  Being in school part-time is always a challenge.  I have four semesters left (which translates into one year and 4 months) and I really can't wait for that to be finished.  Working full time in a very busy and sometimes stressful job is another challenge.  Doing both at the same time, while also having a small farm is probably a sign of pending insanity.  Let's add in a few other things for fun, shall we?  Like...trying to keep spinning yarns for my Etsy store, taking care of a friend's 2 dogs for 3 weeks while he is in France (one of whom has decided my basement is her toilet), taking an exercise class once a week, trying to feed myself in a healthy way, sleeping, a bit of laundry, and the extremely occasional bit of housework, and it's like having a load of bricks dumped on your head.

All of this is why, unfortunately, I have done essentially nothing about the impending holiday.  It's not because I didn't want to, or because I didn't care, or because I didn't have the necessary items at hand.  No, it's just that I didn't have time.  So I didn't send any Christmas cards, and I still haven't sent any gifts.  I do have some gifts to send, some of which I have made, and which were thus late being completed because, yes....I didn't have time to get them done on schedule.  And suddenly it's here, and I just don't know where the time goes, and I end up feeling bad and grumpy about it, which does not assist in the holiday spirit.

I always make these grand plans to decorate the house properly and get all my cards done and get all my gifts sent well before the "deadline" and you know, it just doesn't happen.  Maybe, just maybe, it will happen the Christmas after next, when I will finally have my fourth degree completed, have the bar exam written and hopefully passed, have the barns and pastures set up the way I want them, have a more organized office, a more efficient feeding and watering schedule, and more TIME!  (and if anybody ever suggests my going back to school again, I shall promptly flatten them.)

So, apologies to everybody for not fulfilling my holiday obligations. 

I did somehow find time for some pictures, so here's the latest on the critters...

Pennyroyal, the Jacob ewe lamb, loves her new shelter.

...as does Miss Marshmallow.

Cindey Lou has made friends with a frizzle grey rooster - they always hang around together now.  It surprised me that he would choose such a tiny companion, but maybe he doesn't feel threatened that way.  Anyway, I am happy to see him out and about each day with his buddy.

Slim the brown leghorn hen prefers to stay inside the barn, but she is also doing very well.

And finally, the goats have all grown in their furry winter coats and are looking very fluffy right now.  Opal is particularly good at posing for the camera and showing off her goatie style. 

Playing Dress-Up

And today, hens and roosters, we bring you the latest in little chick fashions from that unmistakable team, Dolce and Eggbana.  This season we introduce a bold, Southwestern style for your little ones.  Not for the meek and mild ones in your brood, these coats are a stand-out in any crowd. 

 

The careful cut accentuates the best of your little ones' attributes, showing their pretty wing feathers and fluffy feet and legs, while providing them with a layer of extra warmth for those chilly winter days.  The warm reds, greens and golds in the fabric really work well with any feather colours, allowing this style to adapt to the wide range of feathers we see so often in the young these days.

Observe how the neckline allows for....oh...what's that?  You're worried about the dog?  No, no, no, don't be at all worried.  That's just a large couch potato dog.  He likes to do a "cushion" impersonation act.  See, he's not even moving.  Really, he's just part of the furniture.  Don't be alarmed...he's a racing greyhound, rescued from the track, but entirely uninterested in chickens.  He prefers to sleep the day away.

Back to the coats, observe how the collar allows your little one complete free movement of the head and neck, with no restrictive ties or uncomfortable straps.  These little coats stay on because of the way they gently fit around the wings of your young ones. 

See, the dog is sleeping now, because he is entirely bored with fashion.  And just look at how happy these little ones are running around in their winter apparel.  They'll be warm and toasty all season long.  Buy now, these won't last long! 

p.s.  For anyone who is wondering why I have frizzle chicks in the house, it's because I lost 2 of 4 due to cold temperatures last week.  All the other chicks have been fine.  I think the frizzles get cold because their feathers don't stick to their bodies like non frizzled chicks.  In any event, these live in the house for now.  They are about 4 weeks old.  The light coloured one is named Omelet because she's golden brown, and the grey and white one is named Pepper, for obvious reasons.  Omelet was nearly gone when I found her, shivering and lethargic.  I quickly brought her in and warmed her in the incubator.  She perked up after about an hour and has been fine since.  Please be mindful if you have frizzles - they are not cold hardy!