Finally, we had three days uninterrupted by rain and the hay is now cut and baled. The yield was poor in two of the bigger fields so I am short of supply for the coming winter. I've never taken second cutting of hay, but this year I will if the fall weather cooperates. Otherwise I'll have to buy in from outside.
The two fields with the lower yields are towards the back, adjacent to the bushy unimproved areas. I haven't grazed those two fields for several years because of coyote pressure. That translates into no manure being dropped on the fields to replenish the nutrients removed by cropping the hay. I did soil testing in the fall and had planned to fertilize those fields in the spring but the weather was so wet the fields were too soft to drive on.
As soon as I get the bales moved off the fields I'll get the fertilizer applied and try to get the yield back to normal.
This view is glorious Doug! That must be a very satisfying feeling for you!
Goat Guests at the farm.
My brother and his wife, both in their 80s, have sold their farm and are moving into town. She had a small hobby flock of goats which have also been sold.
But this doe had her kid late and they wanted to let the kid grow out a little more before finding them a new home.
Sorry to see them leave their farm - my brother designed and built, with his own two hands, their house and barn when he retired several decades ago. Building was his retirement project. Goating was hers.
I'm keeping the visitors in their own pen and small yard for now till they adjust. They have a common fence with the other goats and also with the sheep when they come in at night. So mother and kid can focus on each other as they settle in and still begin getting used to the others.
I don't think the world is going to end. But I think it may be taken over by the insects.
I've never seen so many ants (in giant hills), earwigs, mosquitoes, wasps, spiders. And they seem to be attracted to electricity. I've long noted that the most and biggest ant hills are up by the electric fence - even building up so that they engulf the lower wires. (Always wondered if it was attraction to electricity or staying away from getting stomped on by the sheep.)
But here's a new one to me - hornets building a nest right on the electric fence.
Sheesh.
You see?! I learn something every day.
Natural alarm and protect system for the hornets.
Preparing some Shetland fleece that I've already washed, rinsed and dried:
First pic is of the fleece after drying, stashed in white plastic bag. I take small amount of fibre at a time and split the individual locks off, and place them in a separate tub. (Photo 2)
This process alone removes a large amount of chaff from the fibre as you can see on my lap/chair/floor. (Photo 3)
But there is still some stubborn chaff remaining, so I put the fleece locks in my tumbler. (Photo 4 - actually this photo is from different batch)
The end result is very clean locks for spinning or felting. (Photo 5)
My aging eyes can struggle with black yarn on a black sock knitter.
This is Lorna's Laces in colour Charcoal. Its almost impossible to see in the photo but there's actually a stripey thing happening with varying depths of charcoal grey-black and a subtle hint of a deep aubergine.
I took pics of finished socks but can't get the colour to show even remotely true even with photoshop fiddling. (You'll have to take my word - they came out real nice ;o) )
Toe closing wasn't so hard on the eyes as knitting since I used white scrap.
