The school of hard knocks..........

I'm no stranger to this school. I've been here more than once. It's always a very memorable education. Today was no exception. This was Charlotte, our super friendly sow last wednesday, enjoying her first mud bath of the season. She spent all winter in huge 10x20 box stall cushioned with deep straw, gaining weight, awaiting the birth of her piglets. All twelve of them!!

We moved Charlotte and her little sow, Daisy, out into the "piggy" paddock and noticed she had a limp and her hind right hock was swollen. I thought now that we had taken the rest of her babies off her and moved them to their own space, her leg would have a chance to heal. She favored it but seemed to getting around ok, eating and drinking. After checking her for three days, I called our friend the pig expert and he confirmed my suspicions. She had a broken leg and there was nothing anyone can do for her. She left this morning. No one can figure out how she did it, but that doesn't stop us from trying.

She wasn't just ANY pig.....she was really a special animal. She taught me so much about pigs and their behavior and we all loved her. She will be missed.

"Bliss"

Today was weaning the little pigs day. Charlotte, our sow, is in 7th heaven!! We have had two days of thundershowers and her puddle was ready for her. It's the first place she landed and hasn't left yet :)

This is Daisy. She is the only female we kept of this litter. She will live with Charlotte. Today was her first experience with mud. She looks like she liked it~

The little boys are in the pig pen next door to Charlotte and Daisy. They can see Mom but can't get to her. They are 6 weeks old and weigh around 50-60 lbs. They eat very well on their own and Charlotte has got to be ready for the break. She has lost some weight but is still in good condition. Now she can dry up, relax and take it easy for awhile.

The move didn't seem to bother the little guys at all. They made themselves at home in the pig house and spent most of the day exploring every inch of the outside pen.

They are so naturally nosy :) They are looking into the ram pen. No fear, just natural curiousity. The rams pay them no mind.

Happy little porkers :)

Alpaca shearing; Fresh beef ~

The alpaca shearing was great! The shearer was a great guy. Pleasant, cordial and more than willing to teach me how to shear my alpacas. By afternoon I sheared a pleasant wether from start to finish. I felt very proud of myself. I have to admit I'm a little sore today. He shears them on a thick mat on the floor of the barn. There's quite a lot of crawling around. We all had a great time! Thanks so much Carol for the invitation and the goodies :) See you in July.

The bad news.........Not one of us remember to take a camera :( DUH..... Carol let us take photos with her blackberry and will email them when she can catch her breath. I'll be sure to post them soon.

Today I re-stocked the farm market freezers with 700 pounds of fresh beef. Just in time for our summer community that returned last weekend. Business is picking up and Friday's and Saturday's will be busy from now on. I'm looking forward to seeing everyone again.

Hope you all have a great weekend!

Another school year comes to a close........

Life seems to get busier as the summer progresses. Our youngest, Tyler, has been a busy boy this past year and his schedule keeps me running :) He has participated on the Varsity Track & Field team, High School Band and Karate. That and high school homework, which there seems to be plenty of every night. He is looking forward to the end of homework but he will miss his team and the friends he has made over the year. I can actually remember (no, really I can :) when I was a freshman in high school and how important those friendships became in my life.

This photo was our trip to the last band concert. The students are required to wear white & black with tie to every performance. Tyler plays an assortment of drums, vibraphone, percussion instruments, bells, etc. They will be playing at the University of Southern Maine for the last Senior Assembly and also at the Portland Civic Center for Senior Gradation. He's really excited and looking forward to both evenings out. They performed in two great concerts at school for parents and fellow students. The Pops Concert was to raise money for equipment. It was wonderful to see a lot of participation by so many students in the audience, teachers, community, etc. We really had a great night out and the band and chorus are outstanding!

It has been a good year. We couldn't be more proud of Tyler and all that he has accomplished this year!

Tomorrow - shearing day for the alpacas.....photos will follow.