I couldn’t believe my eyes yesterday when I spotted my first daffodils of the season. They always sneak up on me but they seem even earlier this year. I am honestly surprised they could make it out of the ground with the little rain we’ve had.
Anyway they were a welcome friendly presence opposed to the dying grass in the pasture. The forecast is calling for rain in just a few days. It feels like all of California is holding their breath and hoping for some moisture!
I rely heavily on the pastures I have to feed the sheep in the Spring and Summer. Unfortunately this year we have not had much rain yet and it is making me a little nervous.
The little rain we did have started some of my grass seed growing but since we’ve had virtually no precipitation since then it has actually started to turn yellow and brown. I’m just hoping for some measurable rain very soon so that all of it doesn’t die before it got a chance to be even an inch tall!
The other concern of mine comes with what this potential drought means for the hay crops this year. If we don’t get enough rain it could have a serious impact on hay yields and prices come Spring.
I’m just trying not to worry since we often do get lots of rain in February, March and April. Plus there is not a lot I can do about it one way or another. This situation is clearly not under my control!
2013 was the most successful year so far for Plum Blossom Farm. I cannot express my gratitude enough for all the support and kindness from all the customers I had exchanges with. Thank you to each and every one of you! I feel so blessed to be able to be a part of an ancient craft and to be able to care for my animal family at the same time.
I am planning to do many more fairs in 2014 as well as expanding my online presence. I look forward to growing this business, meeting new faces as well as seeing familiar customers once again. Welcome 2014!
Temperatures have been unseasonably cold for our area. December usually brings rain but instead we are having a cold snap. Dipping into the high twenties many nights in a row is not common for Sonoma County but these freezing temps have even been happening state wide.
I realize we have nothing to complain about since thirty degrees is a warm day in Wisconsin this time of year. But having to do chores when everything is frozen and frosty definitely gives me a great respect for shepherds of the mid-west!
I have had these new sheep for almost a year now and the blend has not been seamless. My original flock is all polled, or hornless and the new flock has large prominent horns. What has happened is that my original Wensleydale flock is fearful of the new Karakuls and for good reason. The Karakuls can be very pushy and ram the Wensleydales, very hard at times.
In the six months that I have had the two flocks housed together I have had two serious injuries in my original flock. I had a wether named Marzo (see below), unable to stand for several days due to a pelvic or spinal injury. 
Then Lawrent (white sheep above) suddenly was very lame one evening when I entered the barn barely able to walk, clearly in a great deal of pain.
Both wethers luckily made a full recovery but that was the final straw; the flocks would have to be separated.
I do not want to re-home the Karakuls because they are so personable and sweet to me and each other. I have just figured out a new was to think about them. They are the “goat-iest” sheep I have ever known. They are bolder around dogs and people than most sheep and are more aggressive like goats too. When I had goats I did end up keeping them separate from my sheep as they were getting picked on in the same way. Except those goats were Angoras and half the size of my original sheep and so it seemed a slightly more even match.
So now my chores are a bit longer and more complicated. Two waters, two mineral tubs, separate feeders, etc. But at least I can relax and know that everyone will be safe.
I rely on the wood stove to keep me warm all winter. This requires that I have a lot of wood to supply the stove. I have run low many times and have always managed to scrounge up some wood one way or another, but is not ideal. When the wood pile runs low I tend to light shorter fires, less often and obviously am cold a lot more.
This year I was determined to not run low so I could relax and just light a fire whenever the thermometer read under 65 degrees. Friends chipped in and helped me gather about a cord together. Some came from trees that had been removed along roads. Some came from a dead fig tree that I had on the property that needed to be taken down since I moved here 2 years ago.
But for the first time this year I am actually buying a cord of white oak. I feel a bit like a sell-out but I am willing to risk that title to be warm!
All the oak came split and dumped in my driveway from an outfit in Santa Rosa. All I had to do was stack the pieces, which feels a bit like playing a puzzle.
Luckily the only wood I had to split was some of the fig, but it was so dry it made me feel wonderfully strong and empowered! It will be so nice to just enjoy the winter in a warm cozy house. Sometimes it can be 80 degrees inside when the wood stove really gets cranking. Makes it feel like a whole other season altogether.
A month of expensive vet visits are the most current events at Plum Blossom Farm. The older sheep in the flock are needing dental work. Most sheep are not allowed to grow old. They are sent to slaughter far before they need any medical care. On my farm however all the animals have a forever home here and are given whatever medical attention they need.
Just like horses, sheeps teeth continue to grow throughout their life. This is probably where the phrase “long in the tooth” comes from. This becomes a problem as the grinding molars grow and cause each bite to be painful. The sheep in this condition lose weight and become thin. I have heard so many times that old sheep just get skinny, there is no way you can fatten them up. But apparently this is the actual problem and it is at least manageable. But it does cost – $125 each.
I found a new wonderful vet out of Potter Valley named Dr Rich Brazil. He was willing to float my older sheep’s teeth. This means filing them down. It was a long process with sedation involved but everyone made it through fine so far. I will do one more round of old girls and boys to make sure everyone’s teeth are in good shape. I had to break the patients into two
groups to divide the bill.
I am glad to do what I can for these sweet animals. It is so rewarding to see them eating better now and finally putting some weight back on; just in time for winter.
I find some of my most peaceful moments are spent around my animals when they are sleepy or napping. I have experienced this many times with the sheep. It’s a feeling of deep calm and almost a meditative state.
Recently I found it works with ducks as well. They were all cozied up in front of the house, dozing in the afternoon. As they napped I took a few moments out of my hurried day to watch them. An ease settled in me that I often get from watching moving water at the river.
Just one more gift the farm gives to me. These animals bring hard-work, love and joy into my life. Now I am reminded that if I take time to pay attention to it, they can bring me peace as well.
With the change of seasons comes crafters preparing for the Holidays. Many businesses do a majority of their sales during and leading up to the Christmas season. Since I am a late shopper it always amazes me when customers come into my booth at a September fair and load up with holiday gifts. These people are ahead of the game!
To do my part to prepare for the holiday gift giving season I have made a new line of wool ornaments. I needle felted each one with care and because of this each one is unique and slightly different.
They bring comfort and joy to the cold winter ahead and make festive any lit Christmas tree.
You can email me to order one of these creations for $15.00 plus shipping or find them listed individually on my etsy page.
This is the first time I’ve ever had two shearings in a year. All the time I’ve had the sheep I’ve just had them shorn once in the early summer or spring.
My shearer believes that sheep stay healthier without all that wool on them throughout the year and it does seem like they get a spring in their step the day after. Studies have shown that sheep will grow more wool per year if they are shorn twice.
Plus most wool mills can only handle a 6″ staple length. Some of my sheep get near that at the six month mark so it becomes a problem for the mill equipment after that.
We’ll see if the locks still sell okay at the shorter length. But either way it started to become a matter of necessity to have shorter, cleaner fleeces.
Plum Blossom Farm