Crunch Time!

I haven't had much time to post to the blog recently. With winter just around the corner it's crunch time to get everything done before it gets too cold to enjoy being outdoors. Things that need to be accomplished in the next few weeks: Finish the next 12'x36' section of the barn, split and stack 6 cords of firewood, clear trees and brush on the left side of the driveway to have a place to put the snow this winter as we now have a fence on the right side, clean the chimney and wood stove and get that ready for winter, button up the house (such as making sure all windows and doors are properly weatherstripped, paint any wood that needs touching up etc.), general clean-up and organize around the farm. Sheep will need crutching (which is shaving their underbellies and crotch areas to prevent wool from becoming matted with wet manure. We didn't do that last fall and the wool was so long and matted in the spring it was hard to get the clippers through at shearing time.), trim feet on all sheep and goats, make sure all vaccinations are up to date, run an electric hot wire on top of fencing on all winter pastures to be sure animals still have a deterent as the snow gets higher, put the rest of the ducks in the freezer, toward Thanksgiving time process the turkeys, and the list goes on.

Hopefully, we'll have a long autumn season to get all this done. Last year winter came a bit early as we had snow on the ground from Oct. 19th through the 3rd week in May. Needless to say we got caught with not enough time to do everything comfortably before Old Man Winter came for an extended winter visit. But regardless of when he makes his appearance all the chores and preparation still need to be done. It’s just more pleasant to take advantage of these beautiful fall days when the sun feels so good to be warming your back and your soul.

These are the days when it's good to put a soup or stew on to simmer in the morning so that it has slow cooked all day, filling the house with it's wonderful aroma and the promise of a hot, savory supper when the day's work is over. When the sun begins to set and you feel the temperature begin to drop, and your body is also ready to drop, exhausted from a day's heavy labor, it's good to know that Mr. Crockpot has been busy at work all day and supper is just a ladle away.