Christmas Trees Everywhere

Gold Mine! I hit the jackpot. No, not the lottery. Although that would be very nice. I hit the Christmas tree goldmine.  Christmas is done and gone for another year, New Years followed closely behind.  Now is Christmas Tree drop off time.  There are reports of a mad woman out there with a truck who stops by and robs these drop off sites.  Truthfully I get some really strange looks.  I stop at this same subdivision in Bangor every year.  Look at all of these wonderful abandoned trees!

Trees and more trees.

Loading up the truck.

Now off to Walmart. I don't think I got any strange stares. After all it is Walmart.

The boys were excited to get the greenery.  Not much around green at this time of year. 

Yum!

The sheep weren't as excited but pleased to have something new to head butt.

Ted hooked up the snowmobile trailer and went back the next day for more. Why should they go to the landfill? We have a goatfill.

This huge tree on the top of the pile will make the animals very happy for a few days. They eat all of the needles, strip and eat all of the bark and then chew the smaller stems. Nothing goes to waste.

Evergreen also serves as a natural dewormer for sheep and goats.  They still get grain and hay everyday needs.  The trees get recycled, the animals are happy. It's a winter win for all.

Much Love from Mainely Ewes Farm.

It Worked!

Thank you to all who commented to my query.  We now have Google Chrome and it seems to work.  

 I guess that Google didn't hear me when I said I don't like change.  

Much Love to all from Mainely Ewes Farm.

The farm of the lady who doesn't like change but grudgingly get pulled kicking and screaming into the new technology.

Did I mention I don't like change?

Blogger glitch?

Cant upload pictures from computer to blogger. Any help?

First Real Winter Storm

We hope everyone had a very Merry Christmas.  Once again we had our celebration a couple of days early.  It seems to work out better with our family so we can be together. I had the pleasure of working Christmas this year. It was really a good day that I got to spend with some really great nurses and doctors.

The weather took a wonderful turn after Christmas and we got about 8" of snow sooo.... it looks like Maine again!

The skies are a beautiful blue against the pure white today. 

During the snow showers yesterday Ted had to get out the new toy.  This year we treated ourselves to a new snowmobile and all the gear to stay warm while out on cold winter days.  I have a tendency to suffer from SAD during the winter. I am great for staying inside way too much.  After much discussion we decided to go ahead and get the Yamaha Venture, 4 stroke, 2 up. So, the purchase of the snowmobile is a therapeutic investment of sorts. Well, that is what I keep telling myself. Sounds logical.

This is the picture I took from the top of our hill today. I already feel better just being out in the sunshine. I love the view of the farm in the distance. We knew this hayfield would be good for something besides hay.

 

Our granddaughter, Jasmine, is up until after the New Year. We were warm and toasty yesterday while the snow fell.  We made 4 batches of cookies.  Enough to enjoy now and plenty for her to take back to New Jersey and share with her mom. 

Emma kept watch for any drops and there were a few.

Lucy kept close watch on the wood stove to make sure it kept burning bright. 

A peaceful time.  Quiet view from our window. I love snow storms, especially when I can stay home and not drive in them. 

You can barely make out some white shadows in the sheep barn.  Fuzzy is looking out at the storm. They stay nice and cozy in their little barn while the weather is nasty out. No chickens out either.  We open the doors to let in fresh air but the birds refuse to go out in the weather.

I don't really blame them. Things on the farm are at a slow pace.  We got a late start this year with taking the lambs to butcher. They will be going on Jan 4.  At least that will lighten our feed load a bit.  Hope everyone is safe and staying warm.

Much Love and Prayers from Mainely Ewes Farm

 

Flat Creek Wool and Pottery Ornament

One of my favorite blog friends is Tonya at Flat Creek Wool and Pottery. She is a very talented artist.  This year she had a giveaway on her blog.  I won and did a happy dance.  She was giving away a Rustic Wool Ornament.  It came in the appropriately labeled box. 

She felted this round natural wool ornament from her own sheep's wool.  How cute is this? I am one of those people who is so amazed with someones talent. I have none. I think that is why I am so in awe of someone who does.

I had to wait until we got a new tree.  The old one went kaput.  I cheat, we have a fake tree which is already prelit.  I think with all of the kids gone I just don't have the energy to get a real tree, string lights, decorate it and make sure it has water.  I always forget the water and then the needles all fall of and it kinda looks like Charlie Browns Christmas tree.  I digress..... this is the beautiful ornament on the tree.

This is Tonya's ornament from 2010. Ewenice sporting a bell.

Last year I emailed Tonya a copy of our farm logo.  She was able to recreate it in this lovely ornament.  I was so pleased I gave all the kids one for their tree. Oh, and the secretary at the hospital. I wasn't sure if the mailperson would appreciate one so I did practice a small amount of restraint. 

 

We were able to find a 6'5" tree that would actually allow an angel to top our tree.  Our ceilings are a bit low.  Folks were a bit shorter back in the day.  The angel will have a Crick in her neck because she is sort of jambed up there.  As I look at this picture she sort of lists to the side. Is that port or starboard?

Now all lit and cozy. 

Thank you Tonya for such a special gift.  I will treasure it and it will grace our tree for many years to come.  Christmas is such a special time of year.  Tonya can also make mugs with your farm logo.  Feel free to follow the above link and contact her.  Like I said she is one talented lady and has the cutest little son.  Well, not so little anymore but he is still cute.

 

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving celebration this past weekend at our daughter Sue's home.  It was filled with love, family and of course fun.  I hope that everyone had a happy and safe holiday. 

 

Much Love and Prayers from Mainely Ewes Farm

Happy Thanksgiving

 

 

We wish everyone a very Happy Thanksgiving.  We hope that you all are with family and friends this day enjoying a very special holiday. Today I will be working and spending the day with friends. We always bring a dish and have Thanksgiving dinner in the break room.   We will have our Thanksgiving this weekend down at our daughter Sue's home.  We find that it doesn't make a big difference what day it is observed. The most important thing is family and friends. 

Much Love and Prayers from Mainely Ewes Farm

Guineas on the Porch

Guineas on the porch. Why are there guineas on my porch. Where there are guineas needless to say there will be poop.  They are strange little birds.

 

This flock was hatched out this past spring in our incubator. They haven't gotten their red cheek flaps nor their cone head.  Very noisy birds.  Why do we have them?  Slugs and bugs.  Guineas are avid bug eaters. In summer the pasture will have thousands of grasshoppers.  These little voracious eaters will walk the yard and pastures in side by side formation eating every bug in sight.  They will loudly announce when you have a visitor.  Actually, they will deafen you when you have a visitor. 

Our guineas were raised in the same brooder as our chicks.  The were moved into a pen with the pullets and now roost every night in the coop. Dark comes to us around 4:30pm.  We leave a light on in the coop during the day.  As dusk deepens all the birds gravitate to the light in the coop.  We go in and feed every evening and close the coop and all its inhabitants up safely.  We have noticed that the older guinea flock and the young guineas are starting to patrol together more often. We have one lone smaller guinea who seems to think that it is a chicken and stays with the young hens all day.  It may have been a later hatch and is younger than the other birds. It even comes up to me like the young hens wanting an occasional pat. Not guinea like behavior at all.

I have watched the guineas as a group chase a fox up the farm road while making the loudest chatter you can imagine. The fox looked appropriately frightened.

I enjoy these birds immensely.  They are entertaining to watch. If we could only train them to stay in our yard.  They are roamers. They will debug the neighbors yard across the street, the cemetery across the street and of course they will also debug the side of the road.  Can you see where I'm going here? Occasionally we will hear a honk or two as the birds leisurely walk across the road.  I am very thankful for those who stop.  Once in a while someone will hit a bird or two.  Another reason we put up the board fence with wire.  Attempting to keep guineas home can be a challenge. Oh, they always come back home but they love to roam.  If you are thinking of getting guineas I can give a few words of advice.  Be aware that you will loose a few. It is sad and breaks my heart.  They are not bird that can be locked in.  They are independent. So that is one of the reasons I have guineas on my porch. Because they can.

Much Love and Prayers from Mainely Ewes Farm