Ping II Why Ping II? Because last year we had another foster duckling Melissa named Ping. It’s been a year, so I think I can write about it now. Seems like every summer the last of the duck eggs takes too long to hatch, so by the time this duckling is out and ready to […]
Novel News All’s quiet on the farm in July…lambs growing, pastures wilting in the heat, dogs panting in the shade…so I’ll take a few minutes to mention two things: First, you can now subscribe to this blog—see column to the right. Second, my new novel, The Spanish Pearl, is out and available. It’s been really […]
The Vain Shepherdess When I leave the farm I like to look nice. Few people have ever seen me in my baggy Oshkosh overalls, which are about two sizes too large but so roomy I can move and bend and twist, agile as a cat. Yesterday I was gone for most of the afternoon and […]
Goatless in Goodhue County Today I almost stole a goat kid. Here’s why: We’ve had goats for over ten years, and they give birth to kids in March. I cuddle and play with the kids; they entertain me all year long. Goats are just like dogs, only with four stomachs and horizontal pupils. This winter […]
Zen and the Art of Shaving a Cat Lambing is all done, I’ve done my author ‘thing’ in Atlanta, so now it’s time to get down to the really important business of spring: shaving our barn cat Pumpkin. Pumpkin has long, thick hair that mats badly over the winter; by spring it’s formed tight weaves […]
Attack of the Laundry We’re still lambing…up to 65 babies now, all running around the pasture like little hoodlums. For the last week our friend Mary H. (holding lamb above) has been living with us, helping Melissa out on pasture. At least three times a day they bring in a bag full of towels, which […]
Lots of Lambs (and some in slings!) I think we’re up to 41 lambs now, and we’ve had 6 sets of triplets. So Melissa brought in the smallest of each group, (the smallest always ends up not getting enough to drink from her mother so we help out by feeding it) and now I have […]
We’re Off and Running! Last evening while I was at yet another meeting, lambing officially began! Ewe #104 had a baby boy. Because I wasn’t there when Melissa ‘processed’ the baby, no photo. But this morning, 9703 had an even bigger boy. He enjoyed the photo session because we scratched his head and chin, and […]
Animal Communication I have an uncanny ability to communicate with our sheep. Just the other day I walked by a pregnant ewe as she rested on the ground, chewing her cud. She was, to put it mildly, very wide. An untrained eye would read her body language to say, “I’m a happy sheep.” I, however, […]
“Hey, nice orbs.” For those of you who enjoy a good farm story, I’m sorry but I don’t have one today. Come back in a few days and I’ll tell the one about the sheep who had just cause to file a complaint with the SPCA. Today, however, it’s ROVING and YARN time. Roving: Yesterday […]