The mysteries of farm life

(The bees need some weed-eating around the hives, but I can't get any volunteers to do that.  Guess that means I'll be suiting up!)

Who knows what our weird Sadie is thinking there?  I certainly don't.  I'm guessing she was scouting for a mouse under the blackberry canes or maybe watching a bird stealing some berries. She sat there for a long time, in the drizzling rain and then just got down and walked away.

The main activity

There's been a whole lot of the above going on around here and not much else.  My appearance is apparently the highlight of the day for lots of critters!

(Some girls are pretty, some are just pretty in the fleece!)

The "little girls" have joined the adult ewe flock and when I look out on the pasture, I can hardly tell the young ones from the older girls.  It's bittersweet for me because I enjoy the time I spend with the lambs as they grow, but pretty soon I'll have new lambs to fuss over.  Gabby should lamb around the first of March and that's not long at all now.

(It's painful for me to see all that hay being shared with neighboring fleeces!)

One way to help with identification from a distance is that every year I order different color ear tags and along with the color, I start the numbering on the tags with the year....so tags for this year will begin with the number 1301.  Picking the color is trickier than you might think.  I don't want those humongous tags that will pull a lambs ear down, but something large enough and bright enough that I can read it from several paces away.  I'm thinking I might go bold this year - maybe red or purple, just because I like to live on the edge!

I've spent more time than I would prefer seeing doctors, going to physical therapy and having x-rays and an MRI.  The verdict is that I have quite a variety of rotator cuff tears (at least five).  Not exactly the kind of over-achieving I can brag about!  I'm scheduled to see an orthopedic surgeon soon but, in the mean-time, I'm working diligently at physical therapy and hoping, hoping to avoid shoulder surgery.  Surgery does not fit into my plans for spring!

These pictures were taken last weekend when we finally had a little snow.  The sheep and I enjoyed it immensely.  These two - not so much!

Boss of the barn

 

Carson,  our rescue cat,   is really starting to come into his own around here.  We love him and I think the feeling is mutual.  He's such a lovely boy and his personality is so sweet and affectionate.   Sadie,  wild girl that she is,  still pretends she is pushing him around,  but they both know it's just a game now.   Slowly,  slowly he decided to come out of the room in the barn where the cats sleep at night.  I let him pick his own pace for acclimation.  After all,  it's a big barn and there were lots of other critters around that I'm sure he'd never seen before.  For a week I left the door from the workroom standing open and each day he ventured a little further out.   He was quite timid in the beginning and kind of crept around investigating all the nooks and crannies.  The day he discovered the barn loft was the turning point.  He loves going up there.  In fact,  he turns into " Zippy Kitty " and " Boss of the Barn " when he's in the loft.   He and Sadie chase each other around and up and over the stacked up hay bales and he loves going up into the rafters.  He's even gotten brave enough to take a run at the peacock a few times.  I'm pretty sure he now knows he doesn't want to go there anymore.

Carson reminds me so much of my Buster cat.  Buster was not a rescue,  but was given to me at a time in my life when I needed to feel unconditional love .... and he certainly gave me that for many,  many years.   I'm so glad I just happened to be looking at the adoptable pets on the Friends of the Animals of Jessamine County website and saw Carson's picture ( the boy formerly known as Peaches,  no less ! ) .  I believe Carson is glad,  too.  He's part of our farm family now.

Carson

  

Carson has come to Tanglewood Farm and we love him already.  He's a sweet boy and we are hoping that eventually Miss Sadie will make friends with him.  So far,  she seems determined to make sure he knows she is the boss around here.  Carson appears to be around 7 months old now,  judging from his teeth ( exam courtesy of my resident veterinarian ) .  He's already about twice as big as Sadie,  so it will be interesting to see how long she can keep up that charade !

 

  

Carson came to us courtesy of the Friends of the Animals of Jessamine County.  Recently,  my friend,  Teresa,  adopted a precious little dog named Tilly from the Friends.  I had seen Tilly's picture on the Friends' facebook page and it looked like a match to me,  so being the good friend that I am,  I sent her the picture and the rest is history.  Not one to leave well enough alone,  I found myself looking at their Available for Adoption page late one evening and there was Carson ( formally known as Peaches - which is way too girly a name for such a big boy ! ) looking out at me as if to say,  "Take me,  I'm yours".  How could I resist ?

 

Of course,  the name Carson came about because we are 'Downton Abbey' fanatics here at Tanglewood Farm.  Sunday night is now our favorite night of the week because it means the latest episode will be on Masterpiece Theatre !  I suspect that there just might be a 'Downton Abbey' themed lamb crop arriving here at the farm around the end of March !

Friends does such a wonderful job.  They have members who work tirelessly to rescue as many cats and dogs as they possibly can and they furnish foster care until they find loving,  forever homes.   If you have room in your heart and home for another pet,  please take a look at the Friends' website and schedule a home visit for pet who will be so grateful.

Phoebe meets Sadie

 

There was a ( very ) small meet and greet in front of the barn on Saturday afternoon.  The Bun was introduced to Sadie,  our itty-bitty barn cat.  Phoebe was in an exercise pen taking the air,  when Sadie decided to check her out.  Sadie is a bit of a wild child.  She's three years old now ( still so tiny )  and she only tolerates your affections when she wants to.  She's a fierce warrior when it comes to protecting the barn from critters who don't belong there,  so we're happy to have her,  even if she's not a lap kitty.  The Bun was interested in getting to know Sadie,  but I think Sadie was put off by the sheer size of her.  It's funny to look back at the pictures I took when I first brought Phoebe home.  She's definitely a big girl now.

Phoebe has "graduated" to living in the barn now.  About a month ago,  she developed a bad habit of flinging litter out of her litter box and it was landing all around the kitchen of the studio.  Not good.  She still has visitation privileges and comes in for grooming and play time.  I felt bad about putting her out,  but honestly,  I think she is just as happy in the barn where there is always something going on.   I do think starting her out inside the studio was a good thing,  because she's still very friendly and loves to be held.  She's due for shearing soon and I'm close to having enough angora to actually spin up some yarn.  Not sure what I'll make with it.  When I raised angoras before, I began by using some of their fiber to knit a hat for my first grandchild (who is now 21 years old ! How did that happen ? ).  It was a sweet little hat with the fair isle patterning done in the angora.  Maybe this time I should knit a big girl version with The Bun's fiber.

They all grow up so fast !

Anyone else, but me, having difficulties with blogger uploading photos today?  There were better pictures, but blogger kept putting stripes through them !  I give .............