Tag: after the storm

A Sense of Normalcy

Sheeps & Peeps6 Comments

The farm is getting back to some sense of normalcy.  All the trees are cut off the exterior fencing, so we could get the electric to the hot wires turned back on.  There are still trees that need to be cut in the pastures, but they are not a safety issue.  Where fencing couldn’t be repaired quickly, we set up temporary fencing in new areas.  To make a long story short, all the animals are back in the groups they are supposed to be in… if not in the planned area, at least in a safe area.  
We’re several weeks behind in our breeding preparations, and hope to catch up this weekend.  It’s not the season we planned, but we’re adjusting.  As you can see in the bottom photo, there are still some lingering patches of snow on the north side of the hills.  We’ve been lucky to have about a week of nice, almost 50 degree weather to work in. 
And… as always… it’s great to have our girls back in the barnyard pasture.
Ours prayers are still with all those who were hit by Sandy… friends visited from New Jersey last weekend… the devastation there is unbelievable.

Making Adjustments

Sheeps & Peeps4 Comments

The snow has almost disappeared.  Bent and broken temporary, interior fencing has been popping out of what remains.  The hope is that today and tomorrow we will get everybody, if not back in place, at least in a new more appropriate place. 

This particular co-habitation is not supposed to be taking place.  Poseidon and Aragorn, the rams, managed to walk out of their paddock several days ago and have been chasing Hannah and Hermione (and each other) ever since.

Bella, however, has had other ideas and has established herself as the care-taker and peace-maker within this group.  It has been a joy to watch her at work.   

We’ve finally been able to feed hay to the ram lambs in the corral, so they have at least been able to get out of the barn.  We’re hoping to repair and reorganize enough in the next couple days to get all the lambs out of the barn and back into secure paddocks.  Everyone is safe inside the exterior fencing (which we still need to make it all the way around to check for downed limbs) but it is kind of chaotic inside that fencing.  At least, so it seems to the shepherdess/s who are used to having some semblance of a plan for each season.
So today begins, two weeks behind in the fall chores, and a new plan being created somewhat on the fly.  Oh well, as Leonard Bernstein, once said, “To achieve great things, two things are needed; a plan, and not quite enough time.”