Ewe & I Farm: September 2010

Thursday, September 30, 2010

You know the weather is bad when...

Your farmer's market manager calls and says 'I don't know if you were planning on going to market today, but it has been cancelled.'

So, no Bradford Farmer's Market today. That is ok. It gives me that much more time to get ready for the weekend.

It's raining again!!

Thank you Lord! We still desperately need the rain.

Kathy and George, this is for you.

From one of the local papers-
Current conditions

65.5°
Hi 69°
Lo 62°
Heavy Rain

Rain. The rain could be heavy at times. Patchy fog. High near 69. Calm wind becoming south around 6 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%. New rainfall amounts between a half and three quarters of an inch possible.

Tonight

Hi 65°
Lo 47°
Heavy Rain

Tomorrow

Hi 65°
Lo 47°
Heavy Rain

Extended forecast

Sat Oct 2

Hi 60°
Lo 35°
Sunny

Sun Oct 3

Hi 53°
Lo 31°
Partly Sunny

Mon Oct 4

Hi 54°
Lo 31°
Sunny

Tue Oct 5

Hi 63°
Lo 39°
Sunny

Wed Oct 6

Hi 64°
Sunny

And from the Weather Bug-

AREAL FLOOD WATCH

in effect until Friday, Oct 1, 4:00 PM...FLOOD WATCH NOW IN EFFECT FROM NOON EDT TODAY THROUGH FRIDAY AFTERNOON...

* WAVES OF LOW PRESSURE TRAVELING ALONG A SLOW MOVING COLD FRONTAL BOUNDARY WILL ALLOW FOR PERIODS OF HEAVY RAIN STARTING TODAY. HOWEVER...THE HEAVIEST RAINFALL IS EXPECTED TO DEVELOP TONIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY. BY THE TIME THE SYSTEM MOVES OFFSHORE BY LATE IN THE DAY FRIDAY...2 TO 4 INCHES OF RAIN WITH LOCALLY HIGHER AMOUNTS CAN BE EXPECTED IN THE WATCH AREA.

* THIS MUCH RAIN WILL CAUSE MAIN STEM RIVERS TO RISE BUT ...THEY SHOULD REMAIN WITHIN THEIR BANKS. LOCALLY HIGHER AMOUNTS OF RAIN WILL CAUSE SOME SMALLER RIVERS AND STREAMS TO RISE TO NEAR BANKFULL...AND COULD LEAD SOME FLOODING OF ROADS AND URBAN AREAS. ANY ADDITIONAL RAINFALL COULD PRODUCE MORE SIGNIFICANT FLOODING PROBLEMS ON BOTH MAIN STEM RIVERS AND THE SMALLER CREEKS AND STREAMS. ROAD WASHOUTS WILL BE POSSIBLE.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A FLOOD WATCH MEANS THERE IS A POTENTIAL FOR FLOODING BASED ON CURRENT FORECASTS.

YOU SHOULD MONITOR LATER FORECASTS AND BE ALERT FOR POSSIBLE FLOOD WARNINGS. THOSE LIVING IN AREAS PRONE TO FLOODING SHOULD BE PREPARED TO TAKE ACTION SHOULD FLOODING DEVELOP.

NH (and I am sure other states that I am not aware of) has been in a serious drought this year. We very much need the rain, but not the flooding. That means a lot of the water that is following now will end up going out to sea. But, as long as the Lord continues to fill my well so that I can water our animals, do the laundry and dishes, take showers and wash fleeces, I am content and happy!

TTFN! Off to finish getting ready for the weekend!

Tuesday, September 28, 2010

The simple woman's daybook

FOR TODAY
Outside my window...it is gray and drizzly. Perfect housecleaning weather!!

I am thinking...about the weekend...

I am thankful for...for the rain that God has given us.

From the kitchen...nothing but coffee until Jerry gets home.

I am wearing...jeans, T-shirt and a sweatshirt, socks and shoes. A little cool in the house...
I am creating...the Civil War Shawl by Suzanne Pufpaff from my own handspun lamb's wool.

I am going...nowhere today. Just back to working around the farm.

I am reading...I heard that song before by Mary Higgins Clark

I am hoping...for a a very profitable 2 weekends & safe travel for my sister and brother-in-law.

I am hearing...Chuck Swindoll and Insight for Living

Around the house...looks like a bomb went off. But, then again, it always does the week before a show.

One of my favorite things...to sit with a cup of coffee and to enjoy either good Christian radio or a good book and to watch/listen to my sheep.

A few plans for the rest of the week:To finish cleaning and organizing my house before Kathy & George get here, to upack and repack the van for the upcoming sheep & wool festivals, and to unwind...

Here are some pictures for thought I am sharing...

Mabel & Ewenice-the 2 newest Romney ewes

Since they are related to Stormy, they are in with Cornelius.
I love the combination of my Romney ram on my Dorset ewes.
It will be interested what we will get with it reversed.
Cornelius has 11 ewes to himself for 6 weeks as does Stormy.

11 in the non-breeding pen

Mac-colored Coopworth and Cloud-white Romney
They came with Ewenice and Mabel (and with their names)

The garden is fenced off for another couple of weeks.
We park at the top of the driveway, and walk down/up.

Grace and Abraham

Monday, September 27, 2010

It's raining!!

Thank you Lord for the rain! Our well will be quite happy. (Or as happy as a well can get. LOL)

We set up at VT Sheep and Wool on Friday, my sister and brother-in-law will be here Sunday when we come home, and then we set up the following Friday for 3 days of Wool Arts Tour. Yee Haw! Are we busy enough yet? No! We are still shearing 2 days this week and I have a follow up meeting for Wilmot Farmer's market and market in Bradford on Thursday. Now as long as the Post Office doesn't call, I should be all set.

Any one want to come help me clean and organize, and unpack and repack the van??

And...we seperated the sheep last night into their breeding groups. Stormy and Cornelius each have 11 ewes and there are 11 sheep (wethers, lambs, and non-breeding ewes) in each of the 3 pens. I will take pictures of this when it stops raining. But, I am not in any rush for that!

TTFN
Cindy

Dragonfly Farm

Heidi and Jack Babb in Webster, NH have a number of Icelandic lambs/sheep for sale. E-mail heidi@dragonflyfarm.net for more information. I will tell you from a spinner's view point, you can't go wrong here. And you get 2 fleeces a year...

Before shearing.

The llamas await their pedi/manicure.

The cream colored ram is for sale. He is 1 1/2 years old.
The gray ram is the newest stud for the farm.

Ram lamb for sale.

During shearing.

Ram lamb for sale.

Overheard, llamas to sheep-
'Oh good grief! I am so happy to be out of there! I don't like getting my nails done, or getting that shot'

Tiny Tim is not so tiny anymore! He is also for sale.

http://www.dragonflyfarm.net/blog/ - Hey Heidi and Jack!! You need to update your blog! (o;

Wonderfall Farm

http://wonderfallfarm.com/

Marla may have kids, and some adults, left for sale. If interested e-mail her at

goat-lady@wonderfallfarm.com

Jerry & Marla sending the llama, does and kids to the barn.

'I heard something!'

It was just one of the goats 'fainting'.

Tom comes to help.

The new Guinea hens

She is already growing her winter coat. I look forward to combing her in the spring and spinning her cashmere.

But, isn't that why they have handles?

The goats get a pedi/manicure every 8 weeks, or so.

Birdie says 'You can't see me!'

Marla says this Guinea hen is sitting on 23 eggs.

Hmm. Do I know you?

Oh honey!! Did he hurt you?

Marla's personal riding lawn mover.

Last Newport Farmer's Market

of the year for Ewe & I Farm and HodgePodge Yarns & Fibers. We will both be at the VT Sheep & Wool festival next weekend and the Wool Arts Tour, though in different locations. Look us up and say hi!!