Farm Photo 3/27/07: A Lot of Love on the Farm

Rosebud, her newborn twin girls, and Lucky Buddy Bear

Lamb Report:
Things have been crazy. There are stories, but there isn't time to write them down. There hasn't even been time to change my hats. I've been wearing them piled on top of each other for days: shepherd, vet, midwife, nursemaid—and undertaker.

Current lamb count: 25. Number of Nanny Bears having the time of their life (and wishing we could have baby lambs all year round): 1. Number of farmgirls who never in her wildest childhood dreams pictured herself at 38 years old, wearing dirty overalls and a big straw hat, kneeling in the hay in an old barn, listening to the rain hitting the leaky tin roof while holding a baby bottle and trying to milk a sheep named Snugglebunny: 1.

Update: Click here to read "A Tail Of Two Mothers: A Mother's Day Story From The Farm" and learn why I was trying to milk Snugglebunny—and why I was able to stop.

More below. . .

Farm Photo: 3/15/07

Gang Activity

A year of Farm Photos ago:
3/15/06: One And A Half Anonymous Hay Eaters

2/18/07 Farm Photos: Scenes from Sheep Shearing Day 2007

One-month-old Baby Cary spent Sheep Shearing Day 2006 safely tucked in a makeshift playpen adjacent to all the action.


More below. . .

Farm Photo 2/3/07: Sheep Shearing Delays

Lucky Buddy Bear—Stock Dog Extraordinaire

Slight change of plans. Since this is about the least treacherous stretch of our steep and curving (and very icy) driveway, we cancelled last Thursday's scheduled sheep shearing session. We didn't want our sheep shearer to make it down the driveway and then not be able to climb back out.

The last thing I want to do is annoy him in any way, as sheep shearers are few and far between around here, and this guy is really good. When I heard he was out of commission last year due to a broken leg, I started making panicky phone calls looking for a substitute shearer and came up empty.

Fortunately he was a fast healer, and late in the season I managed to sweet talk him out of his convalescence and into coming out and shearing our overheated sheep.

More below. . .

Farm Photo 1/25/07: It's Just Not the Same Without Her

Lucky Buddy Bear in the Haybarn

Yep, I'm still sick. It's only a cold (I think), but apparently it really, really likes me. Thanks so much for all of your supportive and kind comments and e-mail messages. I'd probably be all better by now if I'd been slurping up lots of warm and tasty homemade soup, but (even after extolling its virtues just the other day) I haven't had a single drop. How embarrassing. I did manage to churn out a couple beautiful loaves of what I now fondly refer to as Braindead Bread--because even if you're completely spaced out, you'll still end up with a delicious finished product.

This time around, though, my dough was very, very wet, and instead of adding more flour to it, I simply left it as it was (making sure I put tons of flour on the tea towels and wooden peel to keep it from sticking). The resulting loaves had the largest air holes yet, bearing an uncanny resemblance to photos of Italian breads I've seen. I found them quite nice, but be warned: certain people may question why on earth anyone would want gigantic holes in their bread--especially when you don't know they're there until you've sliced into it. (Note: these people will probably be yammering on about this after having polished off half a warm loaf.)

I baked three gorgeous, golden loaves of Farmhouse White, too (in my favorite new pans), but if I mention that bread one more time without offering up a recipe, the e-mails are gonna get ugly. Oops. I told you I was braindead. Update: The recipe is here!

Oh, and one more thing. I'm currently averaging about a two-week reply time to e-mail messages, so if you're waiting to hear from me and haven't, that's why. Thanks very much for your patience.

A year of Farm Photos ago:
1/25/06: Dusk From A Different View
1/24/06: Slash
1/23/06: Watered Down Handmade Fence
1/22/06: Not Stuck, Just Resting (I still love this photo.)
And WDB #18: Lucky Buddy Bear Up Close & Personal

Welcome new visitors!
Click here for a brief introduction to this site.

© Copyright FarmgirlFare.com, the award-winning blog where Farmgirl Susan shares recipes, stories, and photos from her crazy country life on 240 remote Missouri acre—when she's feeling up to it, that is.

Daily Farm Photo: 12/24/06

There are so many ways to show someone you love them.

Happy Holidays from all of us to all of you!

A year of farm photos ago:
It's Over 100 Years Old But Should Work Just Fine
Christmas Eve Greetings From The Farm
Just When I'd Given Up Hope

© FarmgirlFare.com

Daily Farm Photo: 12/9/06

Molasses Ginger Spice Snaps Photo Shoot: The Whole Picture

A year of Daily Photos ago: Another Same Scene, New View
And: Cocoa Correction

Daily Farm Photo 12/3/06: A Place To Bark

Lucky Buddy Bear Is On Alert No Matter What The Weather

Note: After writing this essay (which was supposed to only be one paragraph), I decided that it needed a title, and "A Place To Bark" immediately popped into my head--probably because it's the name of the non-profit animal rescue run by one of my new favorite people in the world, Bernie Berlin. Talk about perfect timing. I had planned to write about Bernie and all that she is doing to singlehandedly save hundreds of homeless dogs and cats literally destined for death when she had her benefit art auction on ebay up and running. . .well, the auction has begun! I still want to borrow her name for my title, so I thought it only appropriate to mention her here.

If you love animals and want to see the amazing difference that one person can make in the world, check out Bernie's blog, A Place To Bark. . . And Meow. Just be sure to grab a tissue first--I don't think I've ever made it through a single post without tears streaming down my face (the good kind). Attention all you art lovers: Click here to go to the ebay auction site where you can support Bernie's animal rescue efforts and purchase one of a kind, donated artwork at the same time.

There's a scene in Larry McMurtry's book, Texasville, when Duane's dog Shorty is yapping incessantly, and Duane's wife Karla says, "Instead of getting him neutered, we should have had them take his barker out." Years after first reading it, I still find that line hysterical. I just love the image of a dog having a removable barker. That said, I think one of the best things about living out in the country, miles from the nearest neighbor, is that your dogs can bark as long and as loud as they like. And if you're smart, you quickly realize that is exactly what you want them to do.

When I adopted Rex as a six-month-old puppy from the local animal shelter back in 1992, I was living in a tiny house on a tiny lot in the middle of a sprawling Northern California city. Rex quickly grew into a 95-pound lovable behemoth who spent most of the time lounging around the backyard. Apart from the fact that he routinely (and mysteriously) escaped from said yard while we were at work, he was extremely well-behaved. (I would return home to find him grinning and bouncing around the tiny front lawn, which happened to be surrounded by a little white picket fence and thus acted as a giant playpen. To this day I have no idea who kindly kept sticking him in there.)

Rex may have been an escape artist, but he was a very quiet one. He did not whine, and he rarely barked. I don't recall ever having to tell him to hush. Every 10 days or so, he would let out one deep, bellowing woof, and then he would give me a look that said, "I couldn't help it, Mom. I was about to explode." And I always told him that I understood completely.

Rex clearly realized that, hard as it might be, one must strictly obey certain noise ordinances when living in a crowded urban area. As soon as he moved to remote Windridge Farm, though, he instinctively knew that the rules had changed, and he immediately began making up for lost time. He barked at absolutely everything. He barked at squirrels and birds in the trees and airplanes that soared overhead and cars a half mile down the driveway and faraway hounds in the woods. Sometimes he simply barked for the sheer joy of being able to do so. It was wonderful.

Now I live with Robin and Bear, and they both take their guard dog duties seriously. These duties mostly include barking of course, and sometimes the two of them go at it all night long, bravely protecting us from monsters and unknown enemy attack. And although their yelps and howls often wake me up, I never get angry or annoyed. It's reassuring to hear that they are hard at work, and it's easy to fall back to sleep because I know that I am safe.

I have also come to know their many different barks along with their corresponding meanings. I can easily tell, for example, if they are barking at something that is far off in the distance or right here in the yard. And so early this morning when both dogs began simultaneously howling their heads off while I was still padding around the living room in my slippers, I knew right away that something they considered very bad was not far from the house. And I was right. I opened the back door in time to see Bear race across the lawn, shoot through the fence, and tear up the wooded hillside after a coyote, letting out a stream of ferocious woofs the entire time. Robin was nearly as loud and not far behind.

The coyote count far outweighs the human one in our little valley, and if I'm outside at night I can often hear packs of them singing to the stars and the moon. That's one of the other great things about not having any neighbors--you are free to howl right back at them, and so I usually do. I used to think that glimpses of coyotes were more common in the days after snowstorms because the animals were driven out of hiding in search of food. This morning, though, as I watched that grey-brown, furry body and bushy tail lope off into the woods, I realized that I was probably wrong. The coyotes are always close by--they're simply easier to see against a snow white backdrop. It's not a very comforting thought, but I know I need not worry. My loudly barking dogs are on the job.

Attention Dog Lovers! This is Weekend Dog Blogging #63!
Head over to Sweetnicks every Sunday night for the complete roundup of cute canine candids. Wanna join in? Just post your pup and email the permalink to Sweetnicks.

A year of Daily Photos ago:
Another Same Scene, New View Series

Daily Farm Photo: 11/24/06

Ear Flaps Up? Check.

A year of Daily Photos ago: Happy Thanksgiving To You
And: Year Round Thankfulness

Daily Farm Photo: 11/16/06

Yep, Bear's A Leaf Roller

And a grass roller. And a hay roller. And an ice roller. Even a barn roller. And an expert snow roller--only yesterday's snow was a no show. But that's how it often seems to be around here. I scurry about in a frenzy, getting all geared up for the predicted 2 to 4 inches, which turns into a predicted one inch, which turns into nothing at all. It's a relief and a disappointment at the same time. Of course the best snowstorms really are the ones that hit entirely by surprise. You go to bed with one landscape and wake up blinking at another. Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow! (Just skip those false alarms.)

A year of Daily Photos ago: Another Same Scene, New View

Daily Farm Photo: 11/14/06

Did You Say Snow?

Yep.

A year of Daily Photos ago:
Did I Hear That Right? Clare Is Back?!

Daily Farm Photo: 11/10/06

240 Acres & He Wants To Be On Your Foot

Attention Dog Lovers! This is Weekend Dog Blogging #60!
Catch the roundup every Sunday night at Sweetnicks. You'll find links to more pup pics at the Carnival Of The Dogs. And the Friday Ark boards everything from dogs to deer. Allergic to fur? Weekend Herb Blogging is for you.

A year of Daily Photos ago:
Where Sheep Sleep, Take Three (The Frosted Edition)

Daily Farm Photo: 10/29/06

I don't see colors like you do. Let's go.

Attention Dog Lovers! This is Weekend Dog Blogging #58!
Catch the roundup every Sunday night at Sweetnicks. Hungry for more than pup pics? Weekend Herb Blogging is for you.

A year of Daily Photos ago: Patchy Cat & The Birthday Party

Daily Farm Photo: 10/15/06

I Recently Uncovered This Purple Kohlrabi In A Weed-Choked Bed




And It Is Very, Very Safe

Lucky Buddy Bear is half Australian Shepherd & half English Shepherd. He loves to work--which is good because his job description is never ending. And he excels at guarding things.

Attention Dog Lovers! This is Weekend Dog Blogging #56!
Catch the roundup every Sunday night at Sweetnicks. Care for more canine candids? The weekly Friday Ark boards everything from pups to parrots. Allergic to fur? Weekend Herb Blogging is for you.

A year of Daily Photos ago: Dan's Opinion Of His New Charges

Daily Farm Photo: 10/3/06

Follow The Yellow Dirt Road

Thank you so much for your outpouring of kind and encouraging words regarding yesterday's announcement of my unexpected break from blogging. I just wanted to reiterate that I have no plans to quit blogging entirely and hope to have these technical problems fixed soon. In the meantime, I will continue to periodically post photos when I can.

If you don't want to keep popping by the farm to check for something new, I invite you to subscribe to Farmgirl Fare and/or In My Kitchen Garden via email. It only takes a minute to sign up, and the process is completely painless. Just scroll down to the bottom of the sidebar on the right side of this page, enter your email address, and click on 'Subscribe Me!' (The sign-up at In My Kitchen Garden is at the very top of the sidebar.) You will then receive each new post via email.

Thanks again for all your support. It means so very much to me.

A year of Daily Photos ago:
Winter Food For Sheep Or Giant Dog Fort?

Daily Farm Photo: 10/1/06

He Looks More Like A Bodyguard Than A Nanny Bear



Don't You Think?
(Click here if you don't recognize that little woolly backside.)

Attention Dog Lovers! This is Weekend Dog Blogging #54!
To see fun pup pics & discover yummy new food blogs, visit Sweetnicks each Sunday night for the roundup. Allergic to fur? Don't miss the Special One Year Anniversary Edition of Weekend Herb Blogging at Kalyn's Kitchen!

A year of Daily Photos ago:
I Wonder If Anyone Has Noticed I'm Gone

Daily Farm Photo: 9/3/06

Bear Noses In A Little Closer

Attention Dog Lovers! This is Weekend Dog Blogging #50!
To see fun dog photos & discover yummy new food blogs, visit Sweetnicks each Sunday night for the roundup. Pining for more puppy pics? The Friday Ark boards everything from canines to catbirds. Prefer plants to pets? Don't miss the always tasty & informative Weekend Herb Blogging roundup every Monday. Catch it this week at The Inadvertent Gardener.

A year of Daily Photos ago: Photoshoot Inspector
(She popped up while I was taking pictures for Pita, Pita, I Too Much Eata)

Daily Farm Photo: 8/17/06

The Destructive Duo (aka Cary & The Nanny Bear) Have Been Temporarily Kicked Out Of The Kitchen Garden (You don't want to know.)

On the other hand, I happened to be standing at the kitchen window today when the wild turkeys came out for a stroll in the hayfield just beyond the garden. I spotted two mama hens with at least 11 baby turkeys in tow (they've gotten much bigger!)**--and as far as I could tell, not a single one of them was digging up or munching down anything of mine at all. It was really quite peaceful.

A year of Daily Photos ago: Surprise Bounty On My New Plants

**My apologies for the confusion. I haven't posted a turkey photo--but not for lack of trying. It's just very difficult to get close enough to them. That link above takes you to the post where I previously wrote about seeing these baby turkeys.

Weekend Dog Blogging #46

One Last Bite Before Bed

All of the other sheep have been rounded up and are headed for the barn, but Cary has discovered a tasty patch of grass and refuses to budge. The Nanny Bear doesn't mind, though. He patiently keeps his ears to the wind, his eyes on his charge, and that trademark grin on his face. Cary is safe with him on the watch. Besides, he knows she'll be done nibbling soon--then they'll catch up to the flock in no time.

Lucky Buddy Bear is half English Shepherd and half Australian Shepherd. He loves his sheep! Click here for more about him.

Attention Dog Lovers! This is Weekend Dog Blogging #46!
To see fun dog photos and discover yummy new food blogs, visit Sweetnicks each Sunday night for the roundup. If you prefer plants to pets, don't miss the always informative Weekend Herb Blogging roundup every Monday.

Weekend Dog Blogging #39

After A Rainstorm












Lucky Buddy Bear loves his sheep so much he licks them dry when they get wet. Now that's a dedicated stock dog!

© FarmgirlFare.com, cute and dry.