Work and Play…

Yesterday the kids put in a very long day cleaning their pens for today’s4H Project Tour.  We will get together with all the other members in our group and go to each others houses and weigh their animals to see how well they are gaining for fair.  So all day yesterday the big kids where literally knee deep-well it wasn’t quite that deep but by the time they were done their arms felt like it was!  I never heard one peep out of them all day except for lunch and the occasional break for more water.  They all stayed up there together until the whole barn was finished.  Tori was even shown how to drive the tractor by Sawyer. I think they doubled the size of our already large pile of …”compost” near the barn.

Adding to the compost pile...

Most of the older waste (which is mainly sheep manure, straw and hay) in the pile has broken down pretty nicely and should make some nice compost to use in the garden next year.  The new stuff ought to be pretty good too, sheep, pig and steer manure all combined.

Tori up at the barn...

Garrett was even busy down around the house,  I caught him putting up a hog panel to block off part of the garden where the watermelon plants keep getting stepped on…

Garrett working...

and he straightened up the yard too.  Zayne and Teigen on the other hand had fun with the hose and worked hard at staying wet…

Fun with the hose...

Teigen having fun too...

 

At around 5 the rest of the kids had finally finished with the barn and had time to refresh with a water fight.

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After supper and the toe smashing Sawyer worked some more mowing  a pasture that we are leasing until nearly 11 and got up early this morning to go finish it up before we have to leave this afternoon for the project tour.

The evening ended beautifully too…

To the southwest...

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To the northwest...

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Whatcha ya think?

6lb weight+ gravity to Hayden’s big  toe=

Owwwiiieeee! (yes that's skin)

 

It's swelling a bit...

 

Poor guy, while making super I heard a large clunk and Hayden scream…Hayden does not usually scream in pain as he has a *very* high pain tolerance so I knew it was bad!  It bled pretty bad out the toe nail too, but I think he’ll be ok. Right now he’s pretty stationary but he’s also poking at it and drinking the ice out of the baggie that he wanted for his toe. lol!  He’s such a monkey.

Happenings Yesterday…

We had a gorgeous sunset last night that was so very intensely colored and spectacular!

 

Sunsets and snowflakes must be similar in that no two are alike!

I never tire of watching the sun dip down low and waiting for that final splash of color before darkness…

And then the best part of yesterday…

Flowers just for mom...

My most favoritist little shadow planted up some six-packs full of very special flowers…

Cowboy Hayden smiling!

Thanks buddy! :0) I love ya!

Sunday Serenity…

Bull moose with cow...

 

(Mat 11:28 NIV) – “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.
(Mat 11:29 NIV) – Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.
(Mat 11:30 NIV) – For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

Sweety…

Can you guess what Zayne’s been up to?

 

He’s sort of a little monkey…

Can you guess?

Can you see it all over my face?

But he sure is sweet!

It sure tasted Yummy!

 

He decided to help make ice cream for Grammy’s Birthday Party by getting in the new sugar bag I had to open.  He was sure proud of himself, how could you get mad at a face like that?

Milking Icelandics and more…

Lisa left this question the other day…

Enjoying your blog! I am interested to follow more about your sheep. Do you milk your ewes? I’ve had Saanen goats and an Ayershire milch cow, but never milked a sheep and am curious as to how much they produce.

I was interested in the Icelandics as we have Norwegian Fjord horses and I really enjoy the “Nordicness” of the breed. Their mindset is distinctly Scandinavian in a horse sort of way.

Lisa

Hi Lisa!  We do not currently milk our Icelandics.  My husband and I- or *me* more specifically have had the occasional thought to milk them.   More for the crafting part of it as I understand the soap is quite lovely!  But the closest we have gotten is this…

…milking a bit of colostrum to save just incase…or the occasional teat that needs to be stripped of it’s wax plug.  But I did send off an email for you and found out that, depending on the ewe they can give up to quart each side or about a half gallon when they are newly freshened.  It sounds like they drop off after that though.  One lady milks her ewes that are raising twins and receives a quart of milk from each ewe.   Not too bad!  However right now I don’t have enough time to milk several sheep for a family of 9! lol! But maybe one day and that is why we bought Butterscotch anyway ;0)

Butterscotch...

 

I was interested in the Icelandics as we have Norwegian Fjord horses and I really enjoy the “Nordicness” of the breed. Their mindset is distinctly Scandinavian in a horse sort of way.

I love this!  Icelandic Sheep are a very hardy breed.  The do very well in our Montana climate and others throughout the U.S. and Canada are successfully raising them too.  They have quite the personalities and are thouroughly entertaining!  To be truthful the first aspect that attracted us to Icelandic’s was their variable colors and patterns.  Not just another white sheep!  It is thought there are 189+ different color/pattern variations.  Then the list of positives kept growing..

• *They have a lighter lamb flavor than most traditional sheep.  Which was very appealing to me as I don’t care for the heavy lambiness flavor.
• *They can be raised on pasture and good hay alone.  We very seldom feed grain or extras with the exception of a good mineral.
• *Lambs are very hardy and vigorous.  We only lost one ram lamb this year that was born still and no other problems with our lambs.  We even had one ewe lamb have the tendon in leg severed while shearing.  She just kicked right at a bad time and the blade completely tore the tendon in two.  We could not sew it back together.  We thought we might have to put her down because she had such a hard time getting around, but within a months time she was using that leg and now you would never know unless you were watching closely.
• *Lambs are born with naturally short tails so there is no need to dock! Yippee!
• *Ewes and rams are early maturing and can be used in breeding their first year.
• *Variety in horns- Polled, scurred, or horned.
• *Beautiful dual wool coats.
• *The possibility of milking them ;0)

Thanks Lisa!

Breve- a polled moorit ewe lamb

Friday Farm Daze

After surviving another busy week….

…even Dugur is tired.   ;0)

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…there are still quiet moments.

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…lambs are still growing.

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…we’ve been eating plenty of these in home-made ice cream. YUM!

 

…lil Buckie made his entrance.

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…we found beauty in lettuce.

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…Junior also made his presence known.

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…we had moments to “stop and smell the roses”.

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…we had some escapees.

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…we have more fruit forming.

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…we received an additional 5/10th’s of rain for a total of 1.2 inches!

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…we have been guided.

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…we are blessed beyond a doubt.

Just kidding ;0)

Last night we had another beautiful sunset followed by a pretty good thunderstorm and rain in the middle of the night.

Last nights sunset…

This morning as Maddie walked by one of the calf sheds she spotted something very special…

What’s all the hubbub about?

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A brand new baby Pygmy Goat…

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Goatie’s twin kids …

Little Goatie had her self some very cute little billy goats.  The boys are both disappointed that both babies are boys and won’t be able to keep either of them.  Garrett is especially sad as his goat had died earlier this year and Hayden told him he could have one of his babies if it was a girl.

Goatie is being such a good mommy, she dried them both off and will make the funniest little noise when either of them think they are in distress.   She was so intent on cleaning them up that she wasn’t holding still very well to let them nurse though.  So we threw in some grass hay, which helped her to concentrate her attention else where while the babies snuck in and drank those important first drinks of colostrum.

Trying to stand up...

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Being a good nanny...

While paying so much attention to Goatie and her new babies the fence was forgotten about and the sheep ended up roaming free to both ends of the property…what a day so far!  Seriously!!!

Little Boys…

My little boys are too funny, they just constantly keep me in stitches when they’re not being naughty! 

Last night when it was time to do chores Teigen couldn’t find his sandals so he grabbed what was available…

Teigen in his stylin’ boots…

They’re his sister’s boots that she had got from G.G., complete with fringe and on the wrong feet!  And of course he is wearing his older brother’s sweat shirt too! 

He was so cute!

He would shuffle his little feet around because the boots were too heavy to lift off the ground. 

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Then came along Hayden too…

Heading up to the barn...

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What do you suppose they're talking about?

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~*~Buddies~*~

Hayden made sure to wait for his lil brother and kept holding his hand or putting his arm around his back guiding him the whole way up.  It was too precious!

 

Happy Birthday Grammy…

Thanks Grammy for all the things you do...

You’ve been so very good to us.

You’ve been kind in every way.

You’ve made us treats and helped

On all our special days.

Today we’d like to thank you

For all you’ve done this year,

And to tell you that your special

And so very, very dear.

Today we’d like to tell you

In our own special way:

We appreciate the things you’ve  done

More than words can say.

Author Unknown

Thank You-author unknown

May not have told you lately,

But hope you know it’s true,

That everyday we’re grateful for a Grammy just like you!

Your caring words, your caring deeds,

They mean so very much,

For all you give to others,

We can never say “Thank-You” enough!

We hope you have a very special day!

Thank you Grammy for everything you do for us!

Happy Birthday!

Our Grammy is such a special person and we hope she has such a good day!  She gives so much for us and showers us in love.  We love to be with her and are always sad when it’s time to go.  We just wanted to say “Happy Birthday Grammy”  may you have another wonderful year!

Love Sawyer, Victoria, Madeline, Garrett, Hayden, Teigen and Zayne!

She's not even afraid of the bees!