The Difference between a Country Place and a Farmhouse

Isn't a farmhouse just a house on a farm? or for that matter a house in the country?

Looking around our home the other day, it occurred to me that there is a big difference between a farmhouse and any other type of house.

Country places are well-groomed, nicely decorated and picturesque. While we have our great views, well-worked gardens, we also have chore boots in our utility room, along with the essential coveralls, hats and coats that are permanently perfumed by the barn. But the deciding factor was this......

A farmhouse just isn't a farmhouse without milk replacer in the kitchen!!!

MUD Season

What happens when ALL that snow (over six feet this season!) starts to melt? We start "MUD Season". Sticky, squishy, slippery MUD!

I don't mind mud. The moisture is SO welcome, after a number of "dry" winters. But, I don't particularly like the slipping and sliding when feeding the animals.

I can't decide which is worse....feeding the chickens or the sheep. Tom says the chickens, as they are his responsibility. It is like mud soup in their pen. It almost sucks your boots off your feet. But, chickens are little and flighty.

The sheep are around 150 to 200 pounds, and totally convinced that this well may be their very last meal, so they all crowd in to eat. Oh, and did I mention that they're woolly and cling to my legs like velcro? MY vote for worst mud feeding detail is definitely the sheep! So far, I have not fallen in the muck. I suppose then I would complain about the mud.

But, MUD season is a vital part of the year. We have to have the moisture to get the water table to the proper level. Otherwise, all the old-timers start worrying about the "d" word (drought) come summer. Believe me, slopping around in the mud is MUCH more desirable than surviving a drought in an agricultural community!

I just need a pair of boots that doesn't leak!

"Pet" Lambs

The term "pet lamb" conjures mental images of little Bo-Peep walking her pet through the park on a string. So, when one of the old-timers told me that his family always had "pet lambs", I must admit I did a doubletake.

Old Mr. H was talking about farming, country living and a number of other things when he remarked "oh, we will always have a few pet lambs". hmmm, I didn't want to appear truly ignorant, so I nodded and let him continue, desperately hoping I could figure out from context WHAT he was talking about! Later, his daughter made it clear as she began filling the baby bottles for the orphan lambs in the barn. I should have known, I walked past bags of milk replacer on the way in the house.

It seems that "in the old days", the bottle lambs were a project for the children. There are always one or two lambs that need some type of supplementation. Either they're orphaned, or the mother can't feed them all (as in the case of triplets). I am certain since the children were involved, the lambs did become some type of pet.

With our daughters grown, we no longer have the "pet lamb feeders". So, I end up with at least one lamb a year that thinks I am its mother. This year it is one of triplets. She was born on a cold, cold day....and was possibly the tiniest lamb I ever saw. A tougher person may have put her down. But she was a fighter from the moment she hit the air, so I felt she needed a chance.

She came to the house inside my jacket, and was tucked in next to the woodstove. At about 4 pounds, she didn't have the body mass to stay warm for any amount of time alone. She learned to drink a bottle and is becoming quite demanding.

Watching her grow, having her depend on my care, it is quite easy to see how she could become a "pet lamb". Fact is, she's a farm animal...she has a place and a purpose in life. A piece of life advice from Dad from years gone by and something to remember!

A lot can be learned from "pet lambs". They are a lesson in responsibility, care, dependence and perhaps empathy. An acceptance of the monotonous and mundane without constant complain would be another lesson to learn. Yes, all good lessons for children. Maybe I needed a refresher course this cold and snowy February.

There are more than a few lessons to learn in the sheep shed!

Now, off to feed the baby....

Jed and Ellie Mae - Farm Dogs

I have never thought of myself as a "dog person". I don't like the dog smell, the panting, the hair, the doggie footprints. So, WHAT am I doing with TWO of the smelliest, "doggiest" creatures around? I have no idea!

Several years ago, when checking for lambs in the cold, February night, I could hear the distant sound of coyotes. Several folks we knew had losses due to the coyotes, and Augusta County actually started paying a bounty for their removal. Our little sheep flock was in no imminent danger, but we began to think of guard animals.

After a failed llama attempt, we began considering the various breeds of guard dogs. We settled on the Great Pyrennees. Their non-aggressive nature toward people was the deciding factor. There weren't any available locally, but there was a breeder out in Highland County. Several weeks later, we found ourselves in possession of the cutest little ball of fur. This was Jed, and he was 12 weeks old. He grew and grew, rather like "Clifford the big, red dog". He topped out at a little over 100 pounds. With the exception of a very willful "personality" and drooling that threatened to flood the county, he is SO cool. After a couple of years, he began to develop some hip issues, and our daughter took her dog to live at her house. I thought Jed needed some company.

Enter Ellie Mae. Ellie is a different type of Pyr....she's short and stocky to Jed's majestic ranginess. We got her in trade from a friend when she was almost 7 months old. She was born on a goat farm, so the adjustment to sheep wasn't too difficult. She's been here three weeks, and fits right in. Her biggest fear is the charcoal grill. It has been suggested that perhaps she heard "hot dogs" and thought that SHE would be cooked. :)

I can honestly say that since we've had dogs, I have never seen a coyote. Of course, I had not seen one before we had dogs, either! The dogs add to the atmosphere of the farm. I find I like the companionship when I am working outside. They also add to the work of the farm....Ellie has a propensity for chewing up flower pots (not helpful at all!) Mostly, they lie around and wait for something to happen. Around here, that means they lie around a LOT!

Unlike true pets, farm dogs don't like travel. The only trips they take are to the vet, and that's never fun. We took Ellie for her shot yesterday, and she instantly became 75 pounds of dead weight. The DR took the front end, and I the rear....just to get a weight on her! Tom and I repeated the process to get her back in the vehichle. She seemed quite happy to get home to Jed and frolicking in the snow!

No, never thought I'd even THINK of being a "dog person"....but that was before I ever met a farm dog...........

The Waiting Game - 2010 Begins

With the dawn of the New Year, it occurred to me that not much new was happening around the farm. To qualify that, not much was happening that I could SEE.

There are new lambs....well, they're coming. The ewes are waiting patiently and eating everything in sight while they do. Two weeks and the barn will be an exciting place!

There are things growing....well, they're still covered in snow. I wonder what is still growing under there. Have to wait and see! A couple of months and the garden will be a busy place.

The greens and lettuce in the hoophouses are even in a slow growth mode. But,time spent in the hoophouse, out of the wind and chill, is like an island vacation. Ok, for that one, you REALLY have to use your imagination! However, the relative warmth and the scent of damp earth keeps me hopeful of the things to come. I am waiting for a "warm-ish" day to plant some more young plants.

So, we wait...and look forward. The lambs' arrival will be rather like Christmas. I like the excitement of finding out what/who is now in the barn. The planting of the gardens is always a time of anticipation. I eagerly await the arrival of each new crop on the supper table.

But, the waiting is so hard.....

We survived the blizzard of '09

"hmmm, snow in the forecast....." That was my first thought on December 15, 2009 when my day began with the usual check of the weather. When you make your living on the land, by the land, the weather becomes a BIG factor. It's part of the neighborly greeting here in rural America. "hey, How are you? Hot enough? or Had any rain out your way?"

When I checked the weather again, there were INCHES of snow in the forecast! My morning greeting to Tom was "Dear, there's SNOW in the forecast!" As the week progressed, the predictions became more impressive. Uh, oh....the "big one" the old timers had been saying we were due.

We made arrangements at the barn. We brought the ewes in, put the steer in a stall. We ran some extra water (never know when you may lose power) checked the generator, covered the crops in the greenhouse, checked supplies. We watched the snow begin....well, we were ready.

But, how about that vegetable delivery scheduled for Saturday? How about the steer headed to the processor's on Monday? Oh, it's just snow....we've got 4-wheel drive...nothin' to it!

HA! When the snow finally stopped falling, the local report was 25 inches! We haven't had snow like that in YEARS! So many years that I can honestly say....I've never seen snow like THAT before (not here, anyway)

Now the fun began....the big dig out! Once Tom got to the barn and got the tractor out, the enormity of the task became evident. Oh, were we glad to see our neighbor with his backhoe and BIG tractor! All three working made short work of the driveway and a track to the barn. Now to get out to all the animals.

It took ten minutes to haul a bale of hay about 100 feet to the ram. I was amazed how completely exhausted I was when I finally got there. WHEW! All the animals were fine and well-fed.

It is now 10 days after the blizzard. There is still snow on the ground, the animals are still in the barn. But, we got the steer out of here and the vegetable delivery done. We made it!

"hmm, there's snow in the forecast......AGAIN!"

visions of lamb chops danced in their heads....

**warning to my vegetarian friends...this blog contains mentions of meat and the enjoyment of eating it!**

When we began raising sheep, it was to have a some variety in the meat we ate. We were raising cows and chickens at the time, and the sheep seemed like a manageable addition. However, when we walked in the barn to pick up one of the lambs we had gotten for a "real bargain", I realized that this one was not headed to the freezer. No, somehow, we ended up in the sheep breeding/raising business....and this without ever having had a homegrown lambchop! I have no idea what we were thinking.

We got some more sheep, Tom and Amanda learned to shear. (that experience is worthy of it's own blog entry) The girls learned to spin, knit, weave and crochet. I began to understand veterinary medicine by necessity. We learned a LOT, and learned it the hard way. We even came up with a family saying that will live on in infamy. "....learned a LOT on that sheep, Tom...." Birth and death, illness and robust health, all took on new meaning once we started being shepherds.

When the meat was finally harvested, we felt a real sense of accomplishment. It was delicious...but, it was SO small! hmmm, back to the learning part of this experience. We found that you can't do it all. If you want wool, you don't necessarily get meat. We changed breeds, we learned more about nutrition.

The '09 lamb crop was the best yet. The lambing went well (for the most part) the lambs grew well (for the most part)....and the lamb chops were BIG and delicious (for the most part) aaahhh, the sweet taste of success! (and LAMB CHOPS!)