It seems that some folks are wondering if we are still here. Rest assured, we are still alive and kicking, albeit with a little more sweat on our brows than normal! It has been an “interesting” summer to say the least. A spring that threatened to be extra dry has transformed into a wet and warm summer. Rain has been a regular occurrence throughout June and July. With it has been a steady stream of warmer than usual temperatures. At least the sunflowers seem happy!
From a farming standpoint, the warmth and moisture has presented us with the ultimate challenge of trying to cut and bale quality hay for the sheep for this winter. We have only miss-guessed once and had newly cut hay heavily rained on. Luckily it was not too much hay. Nonetheless it baled into about 65 bales of nutritionless bedding instead of lush, green hay. We usually need three straight days of dry weather to get the hay cut, cured and baled (although we have managed a few successful two day “windows”). Our greatest problem has been getting Mother Nature to allow us those three straight days with any frequency. We have been cautious and have not had the cut hay rained on too much, but our caution has slowed the entire process down excessively. Some of our caution has also been based upon the fields often being too wet to support our tractors and equipment without leaving significant ruts across the field.
The sheep have had their own challenges with the hay. Their problem has been having too much to eat. The pastures that they grazed just a few days previously begin to regenerate rapidly. As a result, by the time they return to the same pasture it is once again deep, green and lush. This picture perhaps summarizes our “plight”.
The sheep are belly-deep in lush green pasture while just beyond the fence are some of our hay wagons partially full of hay in the main hay field with yet more hay to be cut.
The wet conditions have at least allowed us some time to wander at bit. The water in this picture is not one of the larger puddles in one of the hay fields. It is, however, quite close to us, just down the road a mile or two. It is Lake Michigan, along one of the rockier portions of the shoreline in Whitefish Dunes State Park, our next door neighbor.
Inland in the woods, just a few feet from the shoreline is further testimony to how damp it has been. Everywhere seems to be mushroom heaven.
If we cannot be outside working at least there things to be done with wool. Gretchen’s naturally hand-dyed yarn does eventually find its way into finished products. The warp of the nearly complete shawl is a mix of natural white and gray yarn dyed with mullein leaves, buckthorn berries, and eucalyptus leaves. The weft is undyed white. Of course, it is a given that all the yarn is made from the wool of our sheep.
We continue to slog onward. Perhaps when I get around to returning to the Ewe Turn we may even be done with haying!
We are farmers and having the opposite problem, plenty of warm weather but very little rain right now, after a very wet spring. It can be so frustrating! We were just in Door County last week and we really could tell you’d been getting lots of rain. Everything looked so lush and green – and there were lots of mosquitoes in Penninsula state park!! Spent a lovely afternoon at Whitefish Dunes.
If it isn’t too much it’s too little. Such is the life of most farmers!
It is good to hear that you enjoyed Whitefish Dunes while you were here. Mosquitoes?! Oh yes, i had nearly forgotten them…probably the effect of too much loss of blood…
Dick
so do the girls just overeat and get FAT? Do they dream dreams of drier days? And does all the rain produce wonderful dying weeds? mj
Now MJ, is your first question “lady-like”? I think I will need to defer that inquiry to Nanoo Nanoo (who I would never suggest is fat). I am pretty sure that they dream of drier and cooler days and nights. And as for dying…it is too hot.
Dick
We thought of you and haying when we were trying to get 1st and 2nd off all at once. Way too much hay since we never got the 1st crop off because of the daily showers. Tall grassy hay that is a bit tough, but then my girls don’t have to work for a living so they should be fine this winter. I’m sure Noela will once again be the plumpist one for shearing. Poor David! Still trying to find that window to cut what would have been 3rd crop. If you find that window let us know!
Well Judith, we are still looking for those windows! It seems that they are all about two days long at best. With all the humidity, it is certainly not enough drying time. If we get more than two days it probably will be so wet from the previous rain that we cannot get into the field with the haybine. It is also rather bizarre with our largest hay field. I got the outer rounds cut before the rains really started in mid June. The center of that same field still has about 12 original rounds to cut and the original outer rounds are already passed prime for cutting second crop. If I can ever finish the field I will be cutting a combined first and second (maybe a third) in the middle and second and third on the outer edges. It makes for interesting geometric patterns on the field at least!