The Weather Outside is Frightful

It rained 2 inches yesterday after a somewhat dry spell.  I alway find it interesting that no matter what the weather, I can always find a reason not to do something.  Too hot, too dry, too wet, too humid, too windy, too cold.

The puddle pond has sprung a leak.  It has no liner but the clay has been holding the water fine with a little evaporation which was filled by the next rain.  I filled it at the beginning of the week and then found it almost empty the next day, SOME evaporation.  I tried it again with the same results and decided to wait and let it drain more and see what was going on.  It was getting close but then it rained the 2" and now it is full again.  I should have been weed whacking over by the fence when it was dry but it was too hot, now it is too wet?  That's what I told myself.  This morning, the air was also too heavy besides the weeds being too wet.  So, I did what all good farmers do; I went to town to the farmer's market and to run some errands that are not so weather related.

I just love the fact that I can have a general plan for the week and then decide in the morning what to do that day.  Even with all of my putting off of chores, due to weather, I manage to get a fair amount of work done.  Another thing I find amusing is, when there is something I enjoy doing, but it is sunny and HOT, I just go do it and tell myself how healthy it is to sweat.  And then I take 2 or even 3 showers to keep resetting my energy.  I have sweat a lot building Lyndy's tiny house and I can get pretty sweaty in my fiber studio.  On the other hand, the bookwork I am so far behind with, doesn't ever seem to get done (even when it is hot and I could sit in an air-conditioned house).

Last week John and I took 3 days off and went to the Monongahela  National Forest where the weather was Delightful.  We sat on the screened porch of the lodge in rocking chairs reading magazines and painting the river.  I had to put a long sleeve shirt on a couple of times but I didn't mind that.  We took drives through the forest and hiked to a waterfall.  We ate good food and slept well.

I have turned the fan on for the sheep the last few days because there hasn't been much breeze.  They graze in the heavy rain and snow but still heat is what seems frightful to them.

Shelters from the Storms

I think most living beings, really would like to spend most of their time outside, if they could.  But, sometimes we need a shelter and here are some examples.

 This is Lyndy's new house that we were building last week.  John, his brother Chuck, Lyndy, and I worked long, hard hours to get it out of the garage/barn and tight to the weather.  Many decisions to be made, but those can wait a bit while we all take a breather and look for new ideas and inspiration.

It seems funny that the sheep have a larger shelter than Lyndy will have but there are 9 of them so I guess they need a little more space.

Busy in July

I guess I better pick up the pace a bit in case there are a few loyal followers that want to know what is going on at Cabin Spring Farm.

For one thing, the babies are growing.  Look how big Eloise has gotten.

 

I don't see the chicks much.  They are always scurrying around somewhere, and when I do see them, I don't have my camera.  Eloise, on the other hand, is always about,  acting like a princess and basking in the sun.  

Sometimes, she plops herself in the gateway when the sheep are over behind the garage/barn.  The other day, Sarah wanted to come back to the barn and Eloise was in the gateway.  Sal ran right over Eloise to tell Sarah, "then was not a good time".  I am glad it was just Sal, that stepped on -the gosling that seems to think only of herself.  It is a good thing she is so cute.  

There is so much to think about to try and keep everyone safe.  We lost the residing rooster, to a raccoon in the night .  At least I think it was a raccoon, because the hook lock was undone on the coop.  I added a barrel latch and no problems since.  I did finally catch a coon on the night camera in front of the coop.  Unfortunately, I don't have surveillance everywhere in the barnyard so unless the camera happens to be in the right place at the right time, many questions remain unanswered.  

Other than trying to keep everyone safe and happy, I have not been  a farmer too much lately.  Last week I put my talents to building, another past-time I really enjoy.  Next week,  I have a couple of girls to teach how to spin and weave, and this week-- a couple of days to play.

SHARING

Three weeks of Fiber Camp are finished and I am, this week, catching up with all that was put aside while I focused on sharing fiber techniques with many children.

I purposely saying sharing with rather than teaching to, because that is really what we do.  Everyone has different ways of doing things and we all learn from each other.

One of the things that came up today, was a committee meeting for a local organization.  There are some serious blocks within the organization but I am excited about potential breakthroughs, now that we are acknowledging the issues and starting a dialogue.  The meeting got interesting when one woman brought up the fact that some of the staff and board of this organization have some control issues.  She used a different way of saying it because she could not figure out how to say what she wanted to say.  Her courage to bring the issue out, regardless of choice of words, gave others the opportunity to put their own words to the issue.  One participant asked what the controllers might be hoping to gain from holding things so closely instead of SHARING the load.  Was it a need to be recognized or acknowledged?  Did they need to feel important?

The whole conversation brought back a memory of a rehab hospital where I was doing some volunteer work, with patients in the hospital garden.  The philosophy of that hospital was, that all who worked there were equal; no one was more important than anyone else. One way this was expressed was by dress code.  You really could not tell who were the doctors and who the support staff as you walked throughout the hospital.  There was art by local artists on all the walls and they too, were considered equally important in the rehabilitation of the patients.  Important responsibilities were gladly shared.  The healing of the patient was truly a group effort.

The hospital vegetable garden was quite small.  I remember wondering how I could keep the patients busy over time with important and meaningful work.  I didn't wonder long.  The patients were given choices about activities and those who chose to work in the garden knew what the garden needed.  One of the first patients I met in the garden found her way to get down to the soil and began removing many small stones I had not even noticed.  I wasn't teaching- we were all sharing.

As we recall the stories in our lives, may we be enlightened and may we SHARE them.

Helicopter Parenting

I had heard of the term helicopter parenting but did not expect to see it in the animal kingdom.  All of the geese or duck families I have seen have been a tidy line of goslings or ducklings with one parent in the front of the line and the other bringing up the rear.  Not so with Cirrus and Sal and Eloise.  Eloise,  the gosling, seems to think she is a princess and can decide where she wants to go anytime of the day.  Instead of directing her away from the sheep, C and S move all animals out of Eloise's way.  This has lead to Cirrus losing many of his feathers in defense.  The poor chickens and sheep have had to put up with so much harassment.  When will the geese trust the others not to bother their babe?

Maybe, it is just a single child situation.  With a larger family there would have to be a little more direction.

The ducks have not come yet and I am not sure if they are coming.  I am not sure they would be treated kindly if they did join the animals here.  Cirrus had one of the small black hens cornered in the goose run this morning- the poor thing was so stressed.  He just didn't want her to get too close to Eloise and there was no way to get around her.  When the chicks were younger, one of them was making quite a racket and Sal went to investigate. Moma Black Hen charged at Sal and sent her running.  That was funny to see.  As cute as they are, it will be nice when the little ones grow up a little and can fend for themselves, and stay out of the way.  At least the chicks have a better sense of the sheep movement and know how to wait until the sheep go by, before crossing.  Eloise seems to just be thinking about herself, again maybe an only child thing.

Eloise, sometimes goes through a fence where Cirrus and Sal can not follow.  They used to honk and she would return.  Then they honked and she disregarded their calls and warnings.  Now she strays and C and S just watch and don't bother to call her back.

I wonder how many feathers will be lost over the princess.

FIRST FIBER CAMP OF SUMMER 2015

 It was a hot week but we survived with nice breezes and pop cycles.  Most of the sheep hung out in the barn to stay cool.

It was a week of insects and caterpillars and butterflies too.  

 We did a lot of weaving, some with a master weaver, sorry no pictures.

And now we are on to the second week, with fewer students and higher temperatures.  We will survive.

Some Lives Are Very Short Lived

I found Eli dead this morning.  Eli was Cirrus and Sal's gosling.  Last evening he was having a little trouble walking but was getting along O.K.  Don't know if he got stepped on or tripped or what.  I thought about bringing him in to care for him but figured Cirrus and Sal could do a better job and I didn't want to cause stress.  There was a small wound on the top of his head when I found him, but nothing else.  Don't know if it was a predator that was fought off or what.  Another question that will probably never be answered.

Cirrus, Sal, and Eloise seem to be doing alright with their loss but it is sad.  Farm animals and especially the very young are so vulnerable.  Evie and her three siblings (the four bantam babes) are out and about now but Moma black hen calls them in around 7P.M. for the night.  Tomorrow, two ducks may be coming to live with us.  A woman who moved to town asked us if they could come live here.  I think they will be penned in for the night which means I have to finish reinforcing the run in the morning.  I wish the geese would go back to the run at night, but they don't sleep at night so that is difficult to keep them penned for so long, especially since they have known freedom.

It is always hard to make decisions for other lives but I try to interfere as little as possible.  I don't try to pretend to know what is best in life and death.  Who knows why some lives are long and other so short.