Bitter Cold Farm Weekend

Hello dear friends it is a bitterly cold weekend here at the farm as we have been waking up to -21 degree temps.  Yesterday morning we had lovely hoar frost but by the time I got back from my Saturday morning shopping in town most of the best shots were already gone.  I took a few minutes to grab a few pictures to share.

Burdock is such an annoyance in the garden but looked quite beautiful when touched by the frost.

A view past our kitchen deck towards apple lane and the rear or the property.

A high view from the front veranda towards the hills in the distance.

We cant seem to keep enough birdseed on hand!

I dont recall seeing a woodpecker at our feeder before.

We usually start lambing in early December and I was wondering why our ewes hadnt produced any lambs yet. Yesterday however we had a set of twins and today we had a large single lamb.  We have a special pen that we call "The Twinnery" that we use to keep the mothers and their lambs separate from the rest of the flock.  This makes it easier to watch for trouble with the lambs and also minimizes the risk of a ewe walking away from her lamb and then abandoning it.  Sometimes another ewe may try to "steal" a lamb that is not hers.

  

Lambs typically have a yellow tint when first born.  The mothers will immediately clean them and encourage the new lamb to stand up so it can nurse.

Pretty girl!

There are many hay feeders in the barn so that the sheep can eat whenever they want.  When the temperatures are this cold we keep the barn closed.

A proud mom with her baby!

Thank you for visiting and wishing everyone a great week.

Sunny Sunday Walk

Hello dear friends and Happy New Year!  We have had quite a bit of snow at the farm and since it is  a beautiful day and I have a new pair of snowshoes we are taking a little walk!

These are traditional Huron-type snow shoes made of ash and rawhide webbing.  We were very excited to find them on a last minute shopping trip just before Christmas.  Using snow shoes isnt quite as easy as it looks but it is great exercise and a fabulous way to enjoy the outdoors in winter. 

We have lots of bird activity. The bird feeders need constant refilling.  The blue jays are bird feeder bullies.

This little red barn feeder has many visitors.

A view across one of the pastures.  It is such a privilege to have so much land and we work hard to be responsible stewards.  I dont miss living in the city at all!

A view down apple lane.  The fencing divides this area into two separate fields.  The double row of apple trees provide shade and apples for the sheep.

Heading back with our farmhouse in the distance.

Coming around the barn to the farm lane going towards the road.

We love our cedar fences!

Now we are in front of the barn with a different view towards the farmhouse.

We never have a shortage of wood for the fireplace!

Our vacation is almost over and we have been busy working inside the house.  The current painting projects include the living room and library and wooden baseboards are being milled for the master bedroom.  I am excited about our progress and will have photos to share soon!

~thank you for visiting and wishing everyone all the best for 2017!~