You probably won’t believe me when I tell you that I almost
didn’t make it to write this last post for 2018.
And, while I may exaggerate a bit, I assure you the muck and
mire behind the barn is no laughing matter.
2018 has been the 2nd wettest year in the history
of weather keeping. Not just here on the hill where I can assure you that is
indeed true. But, throughout the state, particularly our beautiful Valley. It’s
a soggy, sodden mess and there are all sorts of ongoing problems relating to
the weather.
Here on the hill it’s been raining for something like 47
days straight and the barn lot is looking like the Great Dismal Swamp (although it isn’t nearly so picturesque). In
reality it has rained 16 of the last 30 days AND we had nearly a foot of snow. (so
I don’t exaggerate too much)
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| December snow on the farm |
The other day we were under a flood warning (again) and there
was no sign the deluge was letting up any time soon. It was dark when we headed
out for morning chores. Pitch dark.
I put the feed out for the ewes and started back to the
barn. In the dark, I veered ever so slightly from my usual path and found
myself mired in ankle-deep muck. It made sucking sounds as I tried to move my
feet. I began to sink deeper. And deeper. The mud was almost like some alien force,
grabbing my ankles with unbelievable strength. Suddenly, the heavens opened and
rivulets of water were snaking their way down the back of my neck as I
struggled. Oh great! I tried tugging my
foot out of the mud. No luck. If anything, it sank deeper. I tried again and
nearly pitched face-first into the goo. That would have been funny if it hadn’t
been so aggravating. The next time I pulled on my foot, my boot nearly came
off. Now, that wouldn’t have been good, let me tell you. Ewww….cold, stinky mud
covered socks…had personal experience with that one…no thank you to a repeat
performance!
Now, arthritis in both my feet and my knees is redefining mobility
(not in a good way) and making life a literal pain. So, every attempted “step”
was painful as well as ineffective. I began to lose my balance again. I started
using the feed bucket to maintain my upright position. I wasn’t having much
luck “powering through” this situation. The Boss had already gone inside and
was unaware of my plight. I considered yelling, but it was pouring rain and I
couldn’t imagine he could hear me. Maybe I could send a distress signal toward
the house with my headlamp! Yeah, right. He would have to be looking out the
window at the precise moment I shined the light. And, I have absolutely no
Morse code skills. I was pretty much on my own.
Long story, short…I finally got free. Although, I did wrench
my back and get my coveralls soaked with mud. At least he didn’t have to haul
me out with the tractor bucket! And, I didn’t find myself slipping slowly under
the mire, never to be seen again.
But, that is some serious mud! I’ve never seen anything that
could be described as quicksand, but honestly, this did. And, still does.
Although now the wind is blowing a gale, which yields another set of problems,
but the upside is that the mud will dry quickly.
When I finally made it back to the house, and I was relating
my harrowing tale to the Boss, I realized the muck behind the barn is a perfect
metaphor for 2018. It’s been a tough year, kind of shitty (sorry about the bad
word, but you really didn’t think that was just mud behind the barn, did you?) demanding far more brute force than
usual to get through. There were times when I honestly thought we wouldn’t make
it.
You can blame it on the alignment of the stars, the planets,
or maybe it was just numerology. (I understand that 2-0-1-8 is a dangerous
combination) Maybe it was just the effects of the weather, a divisive political
landscape, or bad karma (and I don’t mean the dog). It was a difficult year. I’m
not the only one who struggled with the past 365 days. I read an article by
John Pavlovitz that was entitled: "2018: Has Been One Long DECADE" That about sums it up if you ask me. But, it’s about over. We’ve made it. Let’s
focus on that.
That being said, 2018 was all about rain and mud. As I
mentioned earlier, it has been the second wettest year on record.
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| red at morning... |
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| means wet pine needles |
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| another storm clears |
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| waterlogged morning glories |
In 2003 weather records (going back to 1874) were broken
with 54 inches of rain and nearly 4 feet of snow here on the hill. 2018 saw over 52 inches of rain and about 3
feet of snow. You won’t believe this, but there is actually a good chance of
rain for New Year’s Eve, so it may be even closer. Those totals are a little
more impressive when you learn that our average rainfall is right around 40
inches.
But, enough of the rain news. Suffice it to say it’s WET and
go on with things.
Because LIFE is moving ever forward.
It’s almost time for lambs! So the ewes are doing what they can to prepare...
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| ewes intent on eating |
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| and eating |
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| under all that snow the grass was still GREEN! |
In a little less than two weeks, the first babies should arrive. We worked the ewes earlier this week, giving vaccinations so that the moms will pass some natural immunity to their offspring. The Boss will assemble some jugs in the next few days and we will be ready.
Just in case you wondered, “jugs” are little pens where the
new family spends a couple of days bonding right after birth. They are outfitted
with a heat lamp (to warm the babies if the weather is cold) and mama gets some
TLC and extra grain to get everyone off to a good start. After about 2 days of
close observation, they are turned out with the rest of the flock.
I’m trying not to get over-anxious and “count my LAMBS
before they hatch”. We will have to wait and see what kind of production rate
we get. Each ewe generally has 1 – 3
babies. Twins being the optimal outcome. A production rate of 150% is average, and
we generally run 175-200%. 200% is awesome, but that might be a little
optimistic this year. It would also mean the barn would be super crowded!
While the photos below have no real theme, they are proof that you just never know what you might see...in the course of two days, I observed...
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| a cow walking down Mbrk Road |
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| a sheep watching a deer who is watching me |
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| a group nap in the back yard 2 dogs and a CAT! |
In other farm news, the gardens have been planned and the first batches of broilers have been ordered. It's time to pay the sales tax and do some book-keeping. The Farmers’
Market annual meeting is scheduled for next month and I need to inventory the seeds. The
cycle of life is always evident.
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| morning light over the snow |
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| apparently it's "stand in a line day" |
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| ooh, baby, it's cold outside! |
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| wild rosehips |
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| full moon rising over Mbrk |
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| early morning grazing |
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| cardinal on the fence |
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| frosty teasel at the creek |
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| Karma's "birthday" rawhide (it was gone within 24 hours) |
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| ice crystals on the xterra |
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| lichen |
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| the last gumball |
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| the promise of spring |
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| sunrise on the greenhouse |
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| pretty mama cardinal |
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| December full moon |
I have no idea what 2019 holds in store. I can only surmise
that it will be different than 2018.
But, that’s a given, right?
When our girls were younger, I know they found it annoying
that I couldn’t give them guarantees that things would get BETTER. I could only
assure them it would be different. Somehow that doesn’t always sound promising.
But, in a way, there is hope in different. Different holds a great deal of
possibility, particularly when the place you find yourself is hard and
uncomfortable. So, that’s where I choose to focus.
And, there's always something different...
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| a crow at sunrise |
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| a dark and gloomy day |
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| big change in the weather |
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| sunset from the greenhouse |
One thing I do know about 2019 is that I will finally be
able to say that I have been published! (and that’s different)
Earlier this year I stepped way outside of my comfort zone
and submitted a short essay to a collaborative book project. On January 17th,
the book launches on Amazon. It has been an interesting process and I’ve met
some talented, caring folks. You can check it out here. https://www.facebook.com/When-I-Rise-I-Thrive-2057953114496811/
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| every sunrise is different and each days holds all sorts of possibilities |
I have also been doing a fair amount of writing and have posted
a few new entries on my personal website. You should really come visit… www.barbarawomack.com
And, I guess that’s all the news from here.
I hope you have a Happy
Sunday!
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| under Gus' watchful eye |
Thanks for stopping by! Come back and “visit” again next month.
