Catching up :)

Hello from sunny Maine!  It's hard for me to believe that my last post was in March and now it's August!!  I hope this finds you all well and having a wonderful summer.  We have had a couple of months with very little rain.....haying is in full swing but the hay crop isn't the greatest. Gardens are producing although struggling because of the lack of water.  Nonetheless, we are grateful for what the earth gives us :) 

Lots of changes on the farm in the last few months but we are still farming!  I am still working in the city during the day and still really like my job. I work for a fantastic company and look forward to going to work everyday.  Not having to worry about health insurance and a paycheck are blessings in themselves  :) 

I sold off my sheep herd a couple of months ago.  It was one of the hardest things I have ever had to do but it was necessary.  I'm down to three cows but that is about to change.  I have spent the last few months with a skeleton crew of animals trying to figure out what direction my life was going to go in.   I'm finding out what I can handle and work a full time job.  As much as I love the sheep and goats, raising beef seems to be less demanding of my time.  I have a new bull coming this month and hopefully will have two new calves next spring.  I am going to to have sheep again but am still deciding on which breed and what their main purpose is going to be.  Of course the chickens are still here and the guineas are doing a great job keeping the tick population down.  Danny and Otis are still moving around what animals we have and keeping the rodents/predators at bay.  We have added a new pup to the mix.  I'll have a photo or two soon :) 

As fall approaches, I feel the need to prepare for winter.  The woodshed is not full yet so that is a priority.  The oil barrel needs to be filled.  That's extremely painful on the wallet!  A few more repairs and the barn will be ready for the animals for another winter.  We have been making fence repairs the last few weekends and ran an underground water line from the barn to the garden.  No more bucketing water to the plants - such a treat! 

The harvest will be upon us soon and tomatoes are just starting to ripen!  With only one garden this year, we won't be storing as much in the pantry as usual but what we do have will taste great in the dead of winter.  We are going to plant for fall crops this weekend and that will extend the harvest a little longer :) 

I hope your gardens are thriving and that life is good where you are.  I hope to have time to check in here more often and I'll have pictures soon :)

Deb