Cold November Rain?

November is just about through, although you'd never guess it by looking around the farm. The blower is on the tractor, cutter put away in the barn; the Christmas lights are on and the chickens have a timer for "daylight" in the coop; yet even with all this, it still doesnt seem quite like the end of November to me without the snow. This time last year we already had school closings, 12 inches of snow on the ground and had I had done the driveway numerous times. I'm not complaining, I'm just sayin'.

The duties over the last couple of weeks included closing the gates of the pastures one final time. I had to bring the remaining sheep up from "pasture" and reunite them with the other two breeding pairs that have been separated for the past month or so. This included bringing Drogo the llama up as well. In order to do this I have to create an alley of temporary electric net to usher them from the pastures, up through the barn and out into the paddock. Things went pretty smoothly luckily. While all the sheep were up in the barn, we took the time to trim hooves and change jackets. It has been about 7 weeks now since they had been shorn and I was / am / (were for all I know) amazed at how quickly their wool grows back in. Clearly its not the 5 inches it was after a years growth, but certainly more than I had exepected, and surely enough to insulate them through the winter.

Of course it is the time of year to stop and remind yourself just how good (I'll speak for myself) I have it. I am truly blessed with an amazing job that I love (not to mention steady income and protected job) and on top of that I live in amazing house, with an amazing farm and some pretty darn amazing animals. While my trademark strength is my work ethic and drive, its also my downfall in that I don't stop to smell the roses so to speak. And with Thanksgiving, its a day to give thanks and appreciate all that one has been given. Though I missed visiting with my family this year, I was able to prepare my first turkey. The turkey was raised locally at a game farm in Mancelona, and 15 pounds - 5 hours later, and I was elated at how well it turned out. I'm not bragging, I'm just shocked! It worked! A turkey, 3 sticks of butter, the herbs in the cabinet, some potatoes from the garden and viola - turkey dinner. Once is luck, so check back next year to see how the turkey comes out. I might even be eating leftovers still at that point.

My turkey - celery, carrots, apples, herb butter-spread under the skin, and yes I did cook it too.

With even more goodnews, I would like to introduce Noah. With all the animals, there had to be a Noah here too right? Being that I had a few days off for the holidays (and yet - farmers can't travel, my parents love me alot but bringing 10 sheep, a llama, two dogs a cat and 40 chickens home with me for a few days- well, lets just say I don't think so) and with the time around the house I decided to go to the Humane Society to pick out a new cat. I've been blessd with this home, and I would love to share it with a cat who needs one too. Noah is 4 months old and already drinking with the dogs- I mean getting along with the dogs.

So here we go. October was busy, but November just flew by. Thanksgiving is just a memory now but to be thankful each and everyday is something I strive for. And now with December coming in just a few days, I don't imagine things will be slowing down any time soon. All the hoopla of Thanksgiving day sales, and black fridays, cyber mondays, shop shop shop. Ugh. Can't we just sit and enjoy the holidays any more? Good luck with your holiday endeavors everyone.

Evening sun sets on Windy Knob Farms.

Finding Home...

You know there are so many cliches about a home vs a house, and what it means to find your home; a sense of where you belong. I see it with students trying to find the right college that suits them, or with careers or social groups etc. What it comes down to is finding a place in which we belong. A place that gives us that innate sense of security that leads to a comfort that can only be found... well, at home.

I can honestly say how blessed I am to have been given such a "home." I use the word given loosely because a lot of work has gone into it to make it what it is today, but still it's the place, the setting, the barns and the animals that makes it home for me. A place that I can not wait to get home to, despite the work that has to be done and chores to manage, I love it. I absolutely love it.

Finding home seemed to be a theme here these past few weeks. One thing was in regard to the sheep. Last time I went to pick up 8 sheep and borrowed a long livestock trailer. It took me almost 12 hours of driving, lots of white knuckles (through Flint and Saginaw with a four horse trailer and tons of traffic on Michigan roads no less.... c'mon). But for merely two sheep... I was better off driving the truck. So I had to build a contraption.

I went downstate to pick the final two ewe's from the breeder that I purchased all of my sheep from. They had remained behind in order to be bred by other rams. This gives me the opportunity to have lambs in March, with different bloodlines then what I have on my farm currently. Its like getting all the goods of the ram (genes) without having to pay for him or raise him for the year. How's the saying go? Why buy the cow when I can get the milk for... anyway, below you see the two newbies... Lisa and Artemesia. Welcome home ladies to Windy Knob.

Unfortunately it's not all good news in finding home. I would use a word like ironic but that doesn't bode well for the mood of the context. If you were to read back a few posts in the blog, you would see I mentioned about taking each day as it comes and not wishing days away. I specifically mentioned Baka the Cat and how he had "found the farm" and came to live here back in January. I was referring to how quickly time was flying by.

About a week and a half ago (okay who am I kidding, I know exactly when it was: Wednesday the 4th at 4:50pm, on my way to Suttons Bay) I found Baka had been hit by a car and was laying at the base of the driveway. He died. It was surreal at first and Ill save you the details, but it didn't take long before it set in and I realized I had lost a good friend. Baka was special, and I will be the first to admit everyone thinks their pet is special and they truly are, but everyone loved Baka. After my sister visited, she loved Baka so much she went home and adopted a kitten of her own. And our neighbors had first found Baka in their barn back in January. He then charmed his way into their house, where they had a couple of cats of their own who weren't as welcoming; which meant Baka was in need of a home of his own. Windy Knob had some room and a few dogs which was the hold up, how is this cat going to do around a few giant dogs? Well, this is how it went.

Like I said, everyone loved Baka, even the 145 pound Great Dane - Milos. I wish I could show you video of walking the dogs around the farm, and Baka following about 20 yards behind. Or how he was too good for his own kitty water bowl; instead he had to stand on his back legs and drink out of the elevated dog water bowls. He lived up to his name, which was short for Sobaka meaning dog in Ukrainian. He had found his home, and just wanted to be one of the dogs. Baka was special and I was lucky enough to have him find me. I'm sad that it was for only 10 months, but I'll never forget him. Something about him just soothed everyone he met. I think I liked to curl up and watch tv as much as I liked knowing that he would soon join me. I never thought I could become so attached to an animal in so little time. And with that, just as quickly and unexpectedly that Baka came, it was time for him to go. Its the full circle about finding home. Baka had to go to make someone else's day, just like he use to make mine.

The buck stops (and starts) here...

The colors are in their final stages. You can see here the final glimpse of yellows from the lone stand of aspens on the Western edge of the farm. Mind you this photo was taking in the 5 minute break from rain that has been falling throughout the majority of the week. A few changes were made with the sheep. The ewes are into their second 17 day cycle, which means you change the chalk color, and watch for any signs of being bred again. This is in hopes of being ready when the lambs are born, or at least having a window of when they might arrive. The young ram, Doherty and his mate, Nez Perce were moved up to the barn. This left Drogo the llama on his own. So he was moved to the larger pasture with the big kids. Another two weeks and the whole gang will come together (including the final two ewes from the other farm), and breeding season will have ended.


The fleeces that were shorn at the beginning of the month have been the talk of the town. Sort of. Maybe thats a bit overstated, but I have been pleasently surprised with the activity. When I called a wool shop in Traverse City, they knew who I was and the product that I am selling, "a lady told a friend who told so and so, and it got back to me" she said. Up until now I had sold one fleece at the Leland Fiber festival, leaving me with 5 others. I really pushed to advertise this week with ads on Etsy.com, a few phone calls, and some posters up at the local kiosks, and what do you know; I got a phone call from a wonderful Northport resident who came out to the farm today with her friend. They loved the sheep and were very impressed with how clean the fleeces were. I sold two fleeces! Then I checked email, and another buyer is interested in coming out from Traverse City. What do you know, there is a market when you have good product. The picture is one of the information cards that comes with each fleece.


The final excitement I have for you is the showdown between Drogo and an enemy. I thought about making this sound like an elaborate borage of fangs and claws, and a showdown where one dies; but I'll save the drama. Here's the deal. Drogo is supposed to be my guard llama, fend off any would be sheep predators. The only thing I have seen him do is stare down my dogs, and spit at the rams if they get to close to his food. Needless to say I was beginning to have my doubts about his security-ness. Well, I peered out to the pasture the other afternoon to see the sheep running frantically to the far corner of the pasture, and Drogo, creeping up towards the woods... what is it? I was waiting, watching, and out of the woods came this 4 point buck. Not that he was interested in eating my sheep, but at least Drogo helped to protect the could be danger. He squared up to him at the woods, exchanged a few words, and the deer was gone. So maybe he is going to pull through for me after all. Good job Drogo.