2013 – Page 3 – Plum Blossom Farm

Posted on May 31, 2013 by Carole Balala

Tech catastrophy

So there is a reason my parents didn’t name me Grace. I am a klutz. My latest proof of this is when I dropped my laptop and ruined it completely losing not only my computer but the possibility of retaining anything from my hard drive. Ugh. That is never a good feeling and I tried to remember what I would be missing.

Luckily I had backed up my photos not too long ago but some of those are lost forever too. Now each day I am finding new things that I lost in that moment. A word document here, a favorites list there. I am sure over the coming weeks there will be many more moments of “Oh that was on my other computer” and “Oh no, I didn’t back that up either?”. Life can sure be frustrating at times.

Then to add insult to injury I am having to learn a new pc and windows system. This is not the easiest thing for me as sometimes I find change to be say…challenging. I would be really embarrassed if anyone had heard the words I yelled at my computer the first time I sat down with it and tried to just negotiate my way onto Firefox. But I am learning and each day gets a little easier. Let’s hope it continues on that way. I know I have grown from this experience though because this time I purchased insurance. 🙂

Posted on May 10, 2013June 21, 2013 by Carole Balala

Summer, like Spring, came early this year

April brought 90+ degree weather here which usually doesn’t arrive until June. That heat and the lack of spring showers dried out the pastures early this year. The sheep were very dissapointed as was I to see the green grass go. Even worse this dry hot weather has increased the fire season in California which is always nerve-wracking.

Usually after the pastures are grazed we get more rain to help the grass grow a second, third, and fourth round so the sheep can continue to dine again and again. This year the hay will have to be fed out early.

Posted on April 24, 2013June 21, 2013 by Carole Balala

Shorter Locks This Year

I usually have all the sheep sheared in June and have done so since I got them 6+ years ago. This year, under the advisement of my wonderful shearer John Sanchez, I had them sheared in April. This has given me a 10 month growth coat instead of the regular 12 month growth. I have lost a considerable amount of length in my locks because of this. In some cases up to 3″ less.

I am concerned that hand spinners won’t be as drawn to these locks now because they are shorter staple. Even though I have to say they are the cleanest fleeces I have ever gotten from my flock. I will be selling the washed and picked locks as I have before online at my Etsy store. I am interested to see how these shorter locks do compared to the long ones of last year.

If they are as well received I might like to move even to two shearings a year to get cleaner wool and more of it from my fiber sheep. But I also definitely want to keep my hand-spinning and fiber enthusiast customers happy. I will post the responses I get. Fingers crossed.

Posted on April 17, 2013June 21, 2013 by Carole Balala

Shearing Day!

Always a stressful and exciting and stressful day for both me and the sheep comes every spring on shearing day. The sheep must be kept off food till they are done and packed tightly into stalls to await their turn. When I first got my Wensleydale’s I imagined that I would eventually shear them all myself. But since the first time I witnessed the hard work and finesse of a professional shearer I have since changed my tune. A good shearer is worth his weight in gold and I tip mine heavily to be sure he wants to come back next year!

shearing day april 2013 202 — Sheep waiting anxiously

carole skirting fleece — Look at this amazing fleece!

sheep in pasture — All done and happy to be in the green grass.

All the fleeces must have to be skirted before they are bagged to remove all the dirty bits and vegetation that has found it’s way into the fleece. This is a delightful time to see what has been growing all year and the results of months of energy. I had never seen the Karakuls shorn before and so it was fun to see what they looked like under that lofty coat! The photo of the gorgeous fleece shown above is from a shy sheep named Ferdinand. His fleece is large and absolutely unique. He is a Karakul, Romeny, Wensleydale cross and the attributes of each show up in his beautiful fiber!

Posted on March 12, 2013June 21, 2013 by Carole Balala

Fat Tails

We have all heard of Little Bo Peep which lines end with the sheep coming home dragging their tails behind them. Some have thought Miss Bo Peep must have been a shepherd of Karakul sheep since their tails can get so heavy that they actually drag on the ground. One unique characteristic that Karakuls have is that they store fat in their tails. They have broad flat tails that are very distinct from most other breeds of sheep.

Here are some behinds that show off this unique trait:

gray sheep long tails — Tails of Junebug and Ferdinand

Posted on March 8, 2013March 8, 2013 by Carole Balala

Website Overhaul

I have just had the frustrating, educational, exhausting but rewarding experience of moving my website once again. I first moved webhosts a few months ago so I could actually start this blog. When I did so I chose one of these click and drag kind of site builders which was really an easy way to switch things over from my original website I created over five years ago. But then as I started to really used my new site and wanted to add detail and play with possibilities my site builder would only let me go so far.

So trying to be prepared for the expansion of my web presence I decided to take the plunge and completely switch over to WordPress. There are so many options with their system and they are known for their blog tools. I was very intimidated beforehand because I knew it could be a lot of work and I have very little knowledge about anything pertaining to technology.

It took me several days to complete the changeover. This included times of joy, yelling, crying, learning and celebration. Also, lots and lots of searches for the answers to my speed bumps and questions that were thankfully all available on forums, blogs and videos. Please let me know what you think of the new appearance and if you would like to see any other information that I have not remembered to share about farm or fiber!

Posted on March 5, 2013June 21, 2013 by Carole Balala

Shepherds Grove Interview

I was recently interviewed by my dear friend Christine Albertini. An amazing artist herself, she has posted the interview on her blog please check it out:
http://shepherdsgrove.wordpress.com
There you will find in depth information about the farm and my felting process. I hope you enjoy it!

Posted on March 4, 2013June 21, 2013 by Carole Balala

Plum Blossoms in Bloom!

Plum blossoms overlooking sheep pasture.

Plum blossoms are associated with strength as they are some of the first blooms of the year. They are a reminder of vitality, endurance through difficult times and the hope of renewal. They hold the promise of a nearby spring and the re-generation of life.
Plum Blossom Farm is blessed to have many wild, native plum tress around the property as well as a domestic tree which will deliver loads of sweet, juicy deep purple plums in a few months.

Plant life is starting to grow again

Posted on February 26, 2013June 21, 2013 by Carole Balala

February Feels Like An Early Spring!

Haggart and his Karakul family chomping away

Colorful Camelia

My friends try to remind me that it is common for Sonoma County to have spring-like Februarys and then fall back into the rainy season in March. Well it feels like that may happen again this year because we have had plenty off sunshine and warmth lately.

The flowers have started blooming and the clover has popped up. The sheep devour the tender new greens and munch with noisy abandon.

I saw that there is a storm headed our way next week so we will just enjoy these past few days of heaven before the mud returns.

Bayarma devours clover

So dainty and lovely!

Year: 2013