Fall Has Fell

 Despite the hot temperatures there is no denying that Fall is truly here.  I thought the drought would impact the color change in our foliage and trees would yellow a bit and then drop their leaves.  Just the opposite is true and we've had the best color display in some years.

The fall flowers are blooming much more heavily that I would have thought possible given how water starved the plants have been.   The view across the neighbor's property down the valley is a river of goldenrod.

The sky is clear, unbroken blue day after day.  We did have one afternoon of wispy mare's tails which normally mean rain but we didn't get any.  I think this one looks like The Nexus (skip to about 1:10) and given the strangeness of 2020 I wouldn't have been surprised if it had been.

The weeds wildflowers in unkempt corners are making me glad I didn't spend a lot of energy cutting them down earlier this summer.

Even humble ivy that's crept up trees and along the ditches has turned brilliant red.

Normally the sheep would still have been out on pasture for a few more weeks but we had to bring them in and start feeding hay four weeks early.  We made enough of our own for a normal year but we didn't have enough for extra weeks of feeding.  We were lucky enough to secure 20 big square bales and after an initial trial of three bales - which the sheep were delighted with - we had the rest delivered.

Keeping the flock off pasture requires a different daily routine including scraping the barnyard area clean every morning.  Here, the girls seem to be giving our effort an inspection.

We left the auto waterer in the feed bunk to encourage exercise and because the chore of rerouting water into the barn isn't really necessary until freezing temperatures start.  Fortune is looking longingly at a kitty that she really. wants. to. sniff.

Another aspect of feeding hay is the need to coat the flock to keep the wool clean.  Thus began the annual Washing of the Coats.  I do about a dozen a day and triage them after they are dry for holes and weak leg straps.  Soon there will come a day of mending.

We don't normally need to keep the sheep cool AND in the barn but this year with a week of mid-80s predicted we knew we'd have to take some kind of measure to keep them comfortable.  When we used to have a building full of ram lambs in the summer we had a large box fan going for them but it hadn't been needed for a few years.  Time to press it into service.  First Andy had to create a 2X6 the right dimensions to support it.  The buzz rig was pressed into service as a big table saw.

This will move air!

Mounted where it is, at the end of the pens, a good flow of air will move the length of the barn and push stale, warm air out the south end where the rolling door is normally open. 

Holly sez:

"Bleah.  It's too hot and bright out here.  Let's go in for a drink."

Dogs are so sensible.

Time To Come Clean

Somewhere during the summer I lost my blogging mojo.  No big disasters to blame, I just sort of got out of the habit and.... didn't.  I did have good intentions and have lots of pictures on the phone.  So many that it's telling me my storage capacity is at its limit so be prepared for posts from late spring and summer scattered among the more current ones.

First up is a current post.  I hate to think it but we'll be getting into cold weather soon and then winter.  (Boo, hiss)  I had vowed during the summer that I was going to wash all my good wool sweaters while the weather was warm and dry this year and it was an intention that I'm pleased to say I actually followed through on!

Spa Day for the sweaters.

I recently got turned on to Mrs. Meyer's products and can give two thumbs up to their laundry soap.  I was delighted to find it being carried by a local Ace Hardware.  I love the light lavender scent and it cleans well (as does the dish soap).

The other (or AN other) big cleaning type job I'm tackling is to wash all the sheep coats in preparation of hay feeding season.  I had a dedicated washing machine for super dirty items such as the coats, work coveralls and coats, dog beds, lambing towels and other filthy textiles.  Unfortunately, during the summer it sprung a fatal leak - the drum had rusted through.  Gee, and it was only forty years old.  ;-)

I thought about just using the washer in my shop which I use for fleece washing but it's not a heavy duty unit and I was afraid it would quickly get beaten to death.  I searched the internet and was getting pretty disturbed - the majority of the washers were front loaders (NO!), eco-friendly high efficiency/low water users (NO!), had electronic controls (NO!), had a safety locking lids (NO!) and either cost a fortune or were cheap, lightweight, and looked it.

Then...... (cue Heavenly chorus).... I found this one by Speed Queen.  All the stuff I wanted, none of the features I didn't want AND it's made in the US - win/win/WIN!  It wasn't cheap but it was exactly what I wanted and I expect it to last a looooong time.  I ordered it through the same Ace Hardware that carries the Mrs. Meyer's products and it was delivered a few days later.

Look at all that room!  I could nearly climb in there myself.  It holds six or seven sheep coats at a whack depending on the sizes with room for the water to slosh around the way it's supposed to.

The agitator goes all the way up - none of this low profile, barely there nub of an agitator nonsense as we have in the 'people clothes' washer that I stupidly bought before I knew how ineffective it would be.

Nice simple manual controls that won't die from a tiny electrical hiccup.

So the coat washing marathon is underway.  (I don't use the Mrs. Meyer's for that - good old Arm and Hammer laundry soap from Dollar General is doing a fine job.)  It's going to take a while but they're being sorted when they come off the line and either go to the storage tubs in the barn or into the pile for mending first.

Progress on all fronts!