Apple Pie Crafts Fair

http://libraryartscenter.org/applepie/

This was a first for us. Usually I'd be at the Wilmot Farmer's Market, but another vendor recommended that I'd really want to do this. I am glad I did. And, I am most thankful that my friend Katherine Balch from Sew Unique agreed to vend with me. She, and later her husband, did all the heavy lifting. The farm made enough to buy 9 bags of grain. Thank you to all who purchased from us!!! We will be back next year!

Milestones

Today is 10 months since my 2nd shoulder surgery, which was almost 10 months after the first failed one, and 10 weeks since I broke my ankle.

The shoulder is getting stronger due to the wheelchair, but it is still not strong enough to use the walker, or the crutches, for any period of time. I guess I will need to start doing push ups...

The ankle is healing slowly. The Achilles Tendon is super tight, so doing (trying to) exercises is rather painful. But, I will keep moving it. I hope to be able to do weight bearing by September 1st. I see my surgeon again this coming Thursday, so we will see what he says.

The ankle is still swelling easily, and is still discolored.

My poor toe hurts from running onto it with the front

wheel of the wheelchair. I was looking backwards in 

order to not run over Jack Black who insists on laying

directly behind me. I guess he is guarding me....

Edited to add:

The surgeon has told me I can start putting 25% of my

weight on my foot when using the walker or the crutches.

I asked him if he realized how weight that was in my case.

He said, 'just be careful'. I am so excited!!!

I will only be 'walking' with the air cast. 

Tess comes to her new home

Tess is a 16 year old llama that was a surprise born to her humans. Her mother was not supposed to be bred and the vet who was there a month before told them that she was not pregnant. Surprise! Tess has lived with her mother until her passing last year, and other animals until her human's farm sold. Tess has come to live with us and the sheep in her new forever home. I am thrilled to have another female llama on the farm!!!

Our neighbors, Pebbles and Bam, were the biggest help!! Tess took right to Pebbles and allowed her to lead her. We brought 10 year old Stormy to keep Tess company in the horse trailer. He was confused and annoyed that there were no ewes waiting for him at the end of the trip. That is the only other time he ever gets a dog collar and a leash to go for a ride. He was also confused by the horse trailer as he always goes in the van.

 Sylvia (the owner) and Tess.

 Jerry and Stormy.

 Pebbles with Tess, and Bam leading the way. 

He did have Stormy, but he let him go to do his own thing.

 I am sitting in the wheelchair taking pictures.

 Tess is not going to be convinced to go up the step.

 So, around the barn to the side door they go.

 We have never had grass and weeds growing like this.

#1-The chickens are not here.

#2-With me in the chair, I can not move sheep around the yards.

#3-Jerry does not have the time, nor the energy, when

he is doing his chores and mine, and trying to fit in haying.

 This is the first time I have been in my barn since August 1st!!

Tess is not convinced she wants go in that way either.

 

 Stormy

Left to right. Chip-Horned Dorset

Jeremy-Dorset/Romney. Stormy's son.

Cloud-Romney. A very OLD sheep.

Much to Chip's delight, he got moved across to the 

girls side today. He will have 30 girls to himself for 

the next month. Then we will send in Jeremy for a month.

Lambs could start arriving in 145-150 days.

That means lambs will be ready to leave the farm by 

March 1st. Hopefully the 4-Hers will still want market lambs.

 Pebbles, Bam, Jerry and Tess went to the bottom of

the hill and came up the girls hill. Let's try a big door

on level ground. I could not hop into the stall to take

pictures. Too much rain makes for slippery conditions.

I am staying on the clean wood floor in the hallway.

 Tess was so excited to see the girls in the

woods, that she made Pebbles run up the hill.

 Now, it is time to come through the mud.

Camelids do not like mud!

Generally I am out on the tractor back dragging

this away from the door and placing it in a pile.

The oldest piles of this is what was put in the garden

this year for the potatoes. It is basically just poop

and hay. After it 'cooks' for a couple of years, or

so, I is wonderful in my gardens. We will see this

fall how the potatoes did with it. I just dumped big

bucketfuls in the garden and planted the potatoes in the 

top of each hill. Jerry said they are flowering beautifully!

 It is dark and scary and I don't want to go!

Unfortunately the lights don't seem real bright

inside when it is so bright outside.

It is not her barn, and she is afraid. Bam is 

comforting her, and nudging her at the same time.

The mud is not helping.

 

 And we are in.

 In the hallway surveying the situation.

And, checking out the slightly open door.

 You want me to go where?

 Just a bit of gentle persuasion and in she goes.

I am in the grain room trying to get her picture.

She is too busy looking at Pebbles and Bam on the

outside. She is in the stall we use for lambing. She 

will stay there for up to a week in order to get used

to Jerry and to the fact that this is her new home.

Jerry said she was a little confused at him walking

around the barn with a little light on his head at 2:30

in the morning. Hopefully she will get used to this

as there will be another month before I can go back

to doing the morning feedings. He said she is not eating

 grain, yet, but she is eating hay. One step at a time.

And, today I am tired!!

That took a lot out of me getting to, and in, the barn.

And, then hopping around to get pictures.

The ankle is healing. The incisions are ugly. 

And, it is still a bit swollen.

I can, and do, move it a bit. But, I can feel

the plates and the pin in front.

The Achilles Tendon is super tight!

One day at a time!