As I write this, I’m watching the cold rain come down outside. I love the cool weather that fall brings especially the rain. I love the calm it brings to the farm. Spring is a wonderful time, with new life coming on in every part of the farm. I enjoy the shorts and sleeveless shirts of Summer time, and the ability to savor that wonderful cool breeze that comes every so often. And who doesn’t love playing in the snow as winter roles around? But Spring can be incredibly hectic, and is the start of some long work days for those on the farm. Summer continues those long work days, but now adds the stress of the heat to the day. The small amount of work that is done during the winter is made into a normal work day simply due to the fact that everything is frozen; nothing works when it gets cold! Fall is that perfect season where the animals and those who tend to them can all take a deep breath before buckling down for the winter. It’s cool, but not cold enough to cause any problems. The animals are all moving up to their winter pastures and shelters so there’s less of a walk to go check on them. All the animals born in the spring are now old enough that we don’t have to worry about them succumbing to predators or the weather quite as often.
So over the course of the last week, we’ve been moving the animals up to their winter quarters. We’ll now be able to enjoy a little calm for a while, before winter hits and we’re struggling with frozen water pipes, and fumbling with thick gloves and tiny tools. Until then, the chickens are tucked away in their insulated green-house, the sheep are in the front pastures, and will be moved to the pasture adjoining the barn within the next few weeks, and I’m cracking the window open and pulling out my thick blankets!
Conner Smith