For Whom the Bell Tolls

Cast iron dinner bell!

Last year, a very dear friend of mine was cleaning out her barn and endowed me with her cast iron llama dinner bell. I couldn’t believe it; it was so beautiful!  I brought it home and couldn’t wait to hang it.  

I was nervous to hang it outside because although it should be weather proof (to some degree), the weather at our farm is pretty severe at times. Every weather condition that takes place throughout the county just seems 10x more intense here.  J

So, I began to scout out a place on the farm where I could enjoy and see it, but also where it would be somewhat protected from the elements.  All the while that I was looking for the perfect spot, never once did anyone suggest we mount it where the animals could hear it ring! J

While sneaking into the barn, I think I've been heard!

Feeding at my farm rarely entails much coaxing of the animals to partake.  I try to sneak out and get buckets filled and flakes of hay distributed before all the thundering of several tons of animal come galloping, leaping, and scampering to meet me.

I can't tell if he heard the camera click
or actually heard the barn door creak!!

I have found that it’s very difficult to be “sneaky” with a headlamp on! The spotlight beckons, “COME!” 

I keep the barn doors well greased so that they don’t squeak and give my whereabouts away. The thing about horses---they can be ¼ mile away and hear that barn door and come galloping up before I can get food ready.

Jenna isn't waiting anymore, she's going to go check out the noise.
She's certain she saw me head to the barn.

So, I try to get out to the barn, close the gates around the barn undetected, and THEN open the barn doors.

Summer feeding is different from winter feeding at our farm for all the animals to some extent. We have SO MUCH grass, and our fields are so lush that the grain quantity I offer to everyone tapers off substantially during the summer. Overfeeding in the summer causes as many problems as underfeeding in the winter. Because all situations are different, I won’t even suggest that what I do is perfect; however, it does work for my farm.  

Song is still listening to the Sheep get their food.
She knows it's her time next!

BUT, when the days grow shorter, and the fields lose their nutrient capabilities, the assisted feedings become more important. Those feedings are usually done in the morning and afternoon when the sun’s warmth is not so prevalent….so I wear my “barn jacket”. Through the years, my barn jacket has become synonymous with “DINNER TIME!” at the farm.  It doesn’t matter which animal sees me first, he/she will start running…..  and soon, they are ALL running back to the paddock nearest the house.

Silver is excited that the buckets are now making their way to her paddock.
She's just not sure she likes the look of a camera up at my face.

When my daughters head outside, without me, with their own barn jackets on, it doesn’t create the same effect. We never really had noticed that until on one occasion one had grabbed my jacket as a quick throw on. She hadn’t gotten more than 10 paces off the back deck before all the animals had broken into a full gallop to come up for “DINNER TIME!”.  We have apples and pears on a few of the trees nearest that fence line for just that occasion!  J 

Everyone deciding that life is good.

Meal time at the farm is an important part of animal care. During the time they are eating, you can look them over, evaluate their chewing capabilities, look at feet/hooves, check for ticks, look for scrapes/cuts, remove brambles, and know which one will have to stay behind after meal time to be checked out further. 

Song and Silver are wondering, "is there more where that came from?"

I don’t feed my farm all at once.  It’s too impossible.  I feed one group of animals at a time so that I can spend time with everyone. Believe it or not, everyone is patient. They weren’t always that way, but through the years, they have learned that I will get to everyone eventually.

Decided to check out the treat bucket for herself

In the winter when morning lights and heat get turned on, the horses whinny and sheep begin to baa in anticipation of the morning feeding. As much as I’d like to stay inside and grab a cup of tea first, I usually throw on my coat and head to the barn.

Dinner Bell not yet mounted.

So, as much as I’d like to actually ring the dinner bell and watch all the animals come, at this point in time, the dinner bell will just be for my enjoyment!  And enjoy it, I do!!  J

For Every Thing, There is a Season…

....and a time for every purpose under Heaven:...

Hardy Hibiscus blooming
(Mallow)

Fitting for a Sunday blog, these inspirational words are found both in Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 (King James version) and in the Byrds pop song “Turn!Turn!Turn, which made it to #1 on the Hot 100 chart on December 4, 1965. 

We all know either the song or the Bible verses, or maybe even both.  I’m sure the words have played over in our heads during different moments in our lives with the hope that we’d take to heart some valuable lesson.  Some may interpret it, “hang on, this too shall pass”, or “tomorrow is another day”, or “every dog has its day” or “everything has its place” or “this storm shall pass”.  We can also use it to reflect on problems with our job, conflict with a friend, growing pains with our family. But, I also feel it is to let us know that our “moments of glory” or time at “the top” has a limited ‘season’, too.  We could even analyze the difference between “Everything” (one word) or “Every Thing” (two words).Whatever your interpretation, I feel we are supposed to realize that there is a time for every thing, and just like the fable of the Ant and the Grasshopper, we had better prepare when we can, for the times and circumstances will change.  

Example- “Make hay while the sun shines” kind of mentality.

Althea
(Rose of Sharon)

Summers in Kentucky are dependable on some levels. Usually the days are warm, even to the point of hot at times; however, the nights are usually cool. This gives the grass its dewy appearance early in the mornings.  It’s what makes our fields so lush.  We also have ample rain most years which gives the crops a fantastic growing season.

I said USUALLY.  During our time spent in Kentucky, we have seen some sort of variance from the norm every year to some extent; however, it usually balances back out before the season has completed itself.  For example, simply put- if we have a drought for a month or so, we usually get an ample amount of rainfall in another month or so (thankfully!).

This year has been totally quirky. We had late spring snow storms. We had a late freeze that actually killed the peach crop in my little orchard (and at the surrounding areas’ real orchards). Then we have had cooler than normal temperatures, which have made drying hay difficult. And to top it all off, we’ve had mega doses of rainfall the last few weeks.

Hydrangea
(as large as hats!)

I’m not complaining.  Earlier this summer our fields were prematurely burned out. Some parts of the county had received minute amounts of precipitation, but others hadn’t received any.  It was taking its toll on the nutrients available in the grasses. At one point I was beginning to contemplate feeding hay. But, the rains began. And it has rained and rained, while at the same time the temperatures have stayed fairly cooler than usual.

Quickly the fields began to recover to the point that I am now mowing again with the fervor that I usually use in late May to early June.  The blossoms on everything look stunning.  Hydrangea, Althea, Crape Myrtle, Cannas, and Dahlias are all looking as if I tended to them all day long. The thing that I’ve noticed the most is how abundant the “bird berries” are in all the native trees and shrubs. Each year I usually get a nice supply that feeds the birds during the winter (they also eat from all my feeders).  Lately, while taking my evening strolls around the farm, the abundant crop has caused me to stop and wonder if there is another reason other than just from the ample rain.

Smaller apple crop this year
because of the late freeze. 

Last year was a prolific year for fruit from all the pear, apple, and peach trees.  I had NEVER seen so much fruit come off my trees.  Everyone else was also saying the same thing.  We canned so much apple and pear sauces. We preserved and also froze sliced peaches. We made so much jam, too.  We even had so much extra fruit that I actually had enough to give away! On the flip side to all that happiness was that last year was one of our harshest cold weather temperatures in history (I know it was for a large portion of our country, too). But, all winter long while we were enduring the ‘polar vortex’, we were also enjoying the summer fruits that we had canned.   I remember wondering at the time if our prolific fruiting season was nature’s way of preparing us for an exceedingly harsh winter.

So, this year, although I’m please to see everything so lush and green again, all the berries in the shrubs are making me a bit nervous of what’s in store for us. 

Weigela continuing to grow and bloom!!

Recently, I overheard several farmers talking, while in line at one of our farm supply stores, that according to this year’s Farmer’s Almanac we were in for a worse winter as far as the ‘polar vortex’ is concerned. Whether or not this is true, I don’t know; time will tell. But, I do know that there must be ways for us to know, signs for us to see, if we would only slow down and look for them.

In the meantime, rest assured that “For every thing, there is a Season”.

Broomsticks in the Paddock?

Could wind direction affect animal behavior?! (hee,hee)

About a month or so ago while out checking the water levels of troughs in the different fields, I happened to walk past the small paddock that houses our hay barn.  In the middle of the paddock was a blue handled broom. At the time I thought it was odd, but I was on a mission and made a mental note to check it out and move it later.  Well, I guess I can blame it on either old age or the heat, but needless to say, I forgot about it.

A few weeks after that, we had the truck loaded with about 80 bales of hay (will only last a few weeks once the hay feeding season begins). This was the first of many loads and we were on a tight schedule to get them loaded into the barn in order to still have time to pick up several more loads.

Frankie- alias, "The Trickster"

Well, we opened the gate to the paddock, drove in, then stopped for me to move the broom!  The broom---that mysterious broom. As I picked it up, I tried to remember when and for what reason this broom would have made its way to the paddock.  I couldn’t remember.

In order to make the unloading of the bales of hay easier, it’s best to back up as close as possible to the barn. That way as someone is throwing the bales off the truck and into the barn, someone else can begin the process of stacking them for easy access in the winter. I went to open the double doors of the barn so that I could back the truck up as close as possible.

Missile - the other possible culprit!

As I reached for the lock, I noticed the bolt wasn’t there. Odd…. Then as I grabbed for the door handles to turn, I realized they were already in the “open” position…..So, they were open, just not ajar.   I tentatively began to swing back the doors (one at a time) not sure what I was going to find. After I got over the shock, I started laughing. I was laughing so hard that I couldn’t even begin to explain to anyone else what I had discovered….it was best for them to see for themselves.

The inside of the barn was in shambles. Everything was strewn from one end to another. Buckets were tossed; the bales that had still been in good shape were ripped apart and trampled. Whatever had been neatly placed was no longer where I’d left it.  And right in the middle of it all…………………was a pile of horse manure!!

My older daughter’s horse had been clicker trained by her when he was younger (Lexingtontofrankfort —Frankie for short).  He had been taught all kinds of tricks but could also get into all kinds of trouble.  Usually the horses don’t have access to the hay barn paddock, but because this past winter had been particularly brutal, I had opened even more paddocks for all the animals to access more grassy fields when they weren’t buried under snowfall.  Well, obviously he found a way to get the door open and go inside to play. You have to realize that this meant maneuvering steps to some extent!!  He must have thought he was something special, figuring it all out.  I’m sure he tossed the buckets, played with lead lines, kicked around the water heaters, ripped open the bales of hay to sample the various ones, threw the broom out into the paddock, and then ‘marked’ his territory!

Frankie checking out the llamas while waiting for supper.

 My time table for unloading and stacking hay came to a screeching halt.  I had to muck the hay barn, straighten up everything (and I mean everything!), and then begin the process of storing winter hay.  It made for great conversation as we speculated how the whole event had played out among the horses.  What made it funnier was that all the horses galloped up to watch from across the fence as we worked.  It was if they were in a “line-up” and daring us to guess the correct culprit……however, we are certain that there was only ONE------Frankie!