It's been hot here lately...temps in the low to mid 90's with very high dew points, making the heat and humidity a challenge. Every attempt at work outside brings on clothes soaked with sweat, and constant swiping of the brow to control the streaming runoff. As I go about my chores, I can see that the garden has a quite different reaction to the heat than I do. I just want to wilt in the shade and do quiet work on these stifling days but the plants are going gangbusters! The are vibrant green, upright, branching out, and growing like crazy. As I study the changes with my annual sense of amazement, I begin to realize the bugs are driving me nuts. I have to keep moving and swatting, in between brow swipes, to prevent a rash of bites from flies, mosquitos, and who knows what all else. The barn swallows are gleeful arielists, chirping in delight as they swoop around and dive to the ground to swallow as many bugs as they can catch. There are seven birds happily swooping, all filling up on the plethera of bugs. It occurs to me as I stand there that everything around me is loving the heat and humidity. The plants are growing like mad, the bugs are buzzing like crazy, and the birds are swooping non-stop. So if evolution were true, how is it that THEY all feel ENERGIZED in this heat, and I don't? lol
Last night, mild storms brought in beautiful air that is cooler and less humid. It's a beautiful day. I'm energized! The barn swallows are perched in the barn, just looking down at me. I bet they are tired after all that swooping the last few days!
Heat like what we've had this week requires much extra wok for the livestock. We replenish their water frequently to keep them drinking, and changes are made in how we move them around. The rams are in a great place. They have cool shade from trees that are outside their pasture. They can't chew on them, or crush their roots, yet they benefit from the wonderful shade most of the day. With the nice breeze, they've come through the heat just fine. It's a lot of work and worry to raise healthy livestock, but getting the good results in health and fine wool is so satisfying!
Welcome to Wheely Wooly Farm "where warmth comes naturally"! Our sustainably produced, award winning yarns come from our award winning sheep, starting with our now famous foundation ram, Wooly Bear, Grand Champion Midwest Region, 2009. From lambing to shearing to fiber preparation and the arts, our farm is vertically integrated so that we can produce high quality handspun yarns for your knitting pleasure. We hope you enjoy reading about life on this busy farm!
Shetland Sheep: Rich in History, Rich in Textiles
Shetland Sheep: Rich in History, Rich in Textiles! Our farm mission is to enjoy and promote the wonderful diversity of the Shetland breed by fully utilizing to the best of our ability all they have to offer historically. We believe the best preservation and management of this breed includes it's full spectrum of history. We encourage old and new shepherds alike to join in the fun by engaging in fiber arts, especially spinning and knitting, as this breed is so intimately linked with those aspects of the arts.
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