Saturday Farm Photo: It's a Beautiful Day To. . .

Breathe in the crisp winter air.

Hang laundry on a breezy line.

Bake Farmhouse White and roast sweet potatoes with apples & onions.

Snuggle seven lovable donkeys.

Munch on Napa cabbage broccoli slaw and giant chocolate chip cookies.

Be a pregnant sheep on a farm in the middle of nowhere.

Visualize all of the wonderful things that are possible in a brand new year.

Happy, happy, new, new!

© FarmgirlFare.com, where 2006 went out with baby Cary and a photo that still cracks me up—and lambing season 2012 begins the first of March!

Thursday Farm Photo: Light To Do Evening Chores By. . .

I walked out the door and said, "Wow."

More sunrises and sunsets? Here.

More farm landscapes? Here.

© FarmgirlFare.com, where there's something wonderful to look at just about every minute—and sometimes it only lasts for that one minute.

Tuesday Dose of Cold & Cute: Snow Day!

More photos below. . .

Sunday Dose of Cute: This Morning (and Fencing)

More below. . .

Friday Farm Photo: Through the Kitchen Window

Twenty-two degrees and a graceful morning view.

Firearm deer season opens tomorrow. All around the area, hearty community breakfasts will start being served at 3:30 am. Businesses will be closed or short-staffed all week, and the kids are off from school. Vacation days from work were scheduled months ago, and campers and RVs have been parked in favorite hunting spots for days.

The small local meat processor, located five miles outside a town of 325, will take in something like 600 deer over the next week and a half—and those are just the ones hunters don't process themselves.

Deer season is a really big deal around here.

More below. . .

Sunday Dose of Color and Cute: Bringing in the Sheep Version Two

When it was time to work this group of 17 sheep on Friday, they were once again (that would be Version One) way out at the far end of the front field, grazing in the autumn sun while being guarded by Marta Beast.

More photos below. . .

Wordless Wednesday Dose of Cute

More photos below. . .

Sunday Dose of Cute: Bringing in the Sheep

Last spring my hunky farmguy Joe and I decided we would start spending part of each Sunday working the sheep. We've been really good about sticking to our schedule, and in all these months we've only blown off a couple of weeks.

Since sharing a farm with dozens of critters (current count: 78) means we live in a constant state of surprise, uncertainty, and the total inability to do almost anything at a designated time, keeping to this new routine has been nothing short of miraculous, especially since working the sheep is not something we really look forward to doing.

More photos and story below. . .

Sunday Dose of Cute: Longeared Autumn Morning

More photos below. . .

Wordless Wednesday Dose of Color and Cute

More Wordless? Here.

© FarmgirlFare.com

Tuesday Dose of Color and Cute: On the Autumn Trail

More photos below. . .

Friday Farm Photos: First Day of Fall

More photos below. . .

Sunday Farm Photo: Going Out for Breakfast

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Farm Landscape Photos 1

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Farm Landscape Photos 6

Farm Landscape Photos 2011

© FarmgirlFare.com

Thursday Dose of Cute: Heading Out to Graze

After a morning spent working the sheep.

More photos below. . .

Tuesday Farm Photo: A Peaceful Scene

Grazing in the recently cut hayfield with their livestock guardian dogs.

The Daily Donkey 132: Dolores Is Always Good for a Smile

© FarmgirlFare.com, where sometimes you really need a visual reminder on those days that feel anything but peaceful—no matter who you are or where you live. I certainly needed one today. And of course those sneaky sheep aren't actually supposed to be out in the hayfield, but let's just ignore that part, okay?

Sunday Farm Photo: Once the Treat Trough is Empty. . .

It's time to head back out in the field.

The Daily Donkey 112: Startled by a Bear

© FarmgirlFare.com, where green comes in about 459 different shades this time of year.

Monday Farm Photo: Safe and Sound

And all is well.

Thanks to everyone who has been asking if we're okay after last night's devastating weather hit Missouri. We had the animals tucked in and everything battened down before the storm arrived, and thankfully we weren't near the tornado. Our hearts go out to all of the people and animals in Joplin.

Check back later today for the Monday Dose of Cute and the Daily Donkey 106.

Wishing you a safe and happy week!

© FarmgirlFare.com

Friday Farm Photos: The Calm After the Storm

More photos below. . .

Monday Farm Photos: Creek's Up. Way Up.

For at least 11 months out of most years, our wet weather creek bed, which meanders for about a mile through the farm, is filled with nothing more than ten million rocks and my wishes that our peaceful and useful (no hauling water for the sheep!) little babbling brook would run all the time—especially during the heat of summer.

After we've had a lot of rain or snow, the creek will start to run, first upstream next to Donkeyland, then down past The Shack, and finally alongside the entire length of the hayfield before it leaves the property. The water comes off the hillsides and from underground wet weather seep springs. Sometimes it takes several days for the creek to make it down to The Shack, and sometimes it dries back up before it reaches us.

More photos and story below. . .

Friday Farm Photo: Greetings from Dogwood Valley

We've never had this many dogwood trees bloom before. They're gorgeous.

Happy Earth Day!

© FarmgirlFare.com, leafing out and loving these gorgeous spring days—almost as much as the rain that's falling right now and watering our growing fields. Now if only the storm hadn't just knocked out the satellite Internet connection.