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Hi Everyone,
Okay---we survived, but barely. I am 2000% glad that I do not live up north. Cold temperatures are not our cup of tea---actually you need lots of cups of tea when it is cold outside. Wednesday and Thursday were just too cold. The sad part was that the temperature really wasn’t that bad, but the wind chill was fierce. Our milking parlor is open to the north winds, and we could not get out of the wind which just blew right through our clothes. We honestly would have been happy to hibernate in a bed---but farm animals still have to be fed, milked and tended to. We did everything that we had to do, but I do not believe that we spent one minute more outside than we had too. Now don’t tell anyone up north that I said that it was miserably cold here in Florida. J
When life gives you lemons---make lemonade!
Monday morning after we milked the cows, we harvested the lemons off of our Meyers Lemon tree. It was loaded, and picking them was not easy. A lemon tree is full of thorns---that are like an inch long. We had quite a few bloody marks on our hands and arms by the time we were done filling ten, five gallon buckets full of lemons. Tuesday we had a juicing party. My sister, Nichole, juices lemons for a living----well, she and her husband work a concession trailer at fairs and events, and one of their popular items is lemonade. Anyway, Nichole had said that we could borrow one of her manual juicers when we got around to juicing all the lemons. We already have one, but two would make the job go much faster---especially when you have 10, five gallon buckets full. So around noon I headed over to Nichole’s to pick up the juicer. Her husband had the idea that we should use their second one too, and then he had a grand idea---they would all come over and help us juice. Well, 19 month old Josiah would just entertain us, but Gary, Nichole and almost six year old Makenna would help with the juicing process. Mom washed the lemons, and Makenna put them in the bowl and brought them over to the counter for me to cut. Then Steve, Nichole, and Gary juiced them. With three juicers, Mom couldn’t wash fast enough, so I had to help wash, and Nichole took over cutting. We started around 12:30 and were finished juicing twelve gallons of lemon juice by 4:00. We then spent the next hour cleaning lemon juice and pulp off the counters, cabinets and floor. When that was all done it was around 5:00, and Nichole wanted some lettuce and collards from the garden. Mom and I also had to harvest some greens and onions for the Wednesday, Jacksonville delivery. So we all worked together, and were done in no time. It was then time for everyone to head to their own kitchens and cook dinner. We had plans to watch Josiah and Makenna on Thursday so that their Mommy and Daddy could have a date----and on the schedule was a nap for Josiah while Makenna and I made Lemon Merengue Pie. To our dismay, Josiah wasn’t feeling too good on Thursday, so they didn’t get their date, and we didn’t get to make our pies. Rain check please!
Baa, Baa Black sheep have you any wool? No sir, no sir, I haven’t any wool!
That is right---our sheep have no wool. We raise Katahdin Hair Sheep. They shed out, and in the spring they look like they are carrying around a rug. We started with wool sheep, but you have to dock their tails, and keep them sheared. The shearer would arrive from Idaho sometime in May. He would go around from farm to farm, and call us when he was on his way---and it could be 10:00 at night or midnight when he arrived. I remember shearing the sheep at our old house by the light of the barn. Having the wool was nice; for we would send it off to make blankets, yarn and lap quilts (we have been known to fight over the one that we had, so much so that I had my own made.) Then about 22 years ago we switched over to the hair sheep. We now have about 100 sheep, and hope to be able to sell a lot of them this year. Our little lambs are growing like weeds, and I shall be interested to hear what my friend Lydia has to say about Freckles---who is doing so much better. Yes, Lydia is coming back up this week to finish painting on the Little People Barn. Anyway, the lambs are so cute. Someone was asking for us to get a picture of us bottle feeding the lambs---they probably should come and take the picture, because with five hungry little lambs all hands are full of bottles. Yesterday a friend came over for the afternoon, and the highlight of her visit was feeding the lambs. She had her camera with her so that she could take pictures for our website that she is working on. We grabbed the bucket of bottles, and she grabbed her camera---but when we got to the pen, she quickly realized that the camera and the bottles could not function together. Therefore, she abandoned the camera, and grabbed two bottles and had a blast. Once the lambs’ bellies were full, we let them out to play, and Alison grabbed her camera. At that point, she found out just how hard it is to capture a moving object---especially an object that is running and jumping, and trying to put its nose on your camera lens. It was truly one of those times where you take about fifty pictures in hopes of getting a few good ones. When you only have a few sheep---you can name them all, and we used to. There was Sweetie Pie, Sweet Cakes, Snuggles, Rambo, Safflower, and Chuckie Cheese (because he had chubby cheeks). When you have over twenty sheep though---only the bottle lambs get named. This year we have five bottle lambs so far. Lydia name Freckles—because she has freckles all over her. Then there is little Sally---who we had to eye dropper every twenty minutes until she was strong enough to suck on the bottle herself. Next we have Joe---he is a husky little fellow, full of energy and is always so eager to eat, that he has the hardest time getting the nipple in his mouth. Cuddle-bug is a little boy with one black leg who loves to curl up in your lap and snuggle. Last but not least---for she is the biggest of all of them, there is Harriette. We tease that her name is “Ette”, and she is so “Harry”. Harriette actually enjoys the heat lamp that we have hanging in their pen, and you can find her standing under the light most of the time---I guess she is a Florida girl too!
What else could we possibly do?
Friday was full to the brim and overflowing----or was it overwhelming. Mom and I got the cows milked----after Mom did the breakfast dishes, I set up the milking equipment and we bottle fed the lambs. Once the cows were milked we bottled the milk, and I bottled the kefir. Mom worked at filling in some holes around the milking parlor. I made yogurt, and then I spent my afternoon making kombucha---with many interruptions from the piano tuner. When your piano is anywhere from 75 to 100 years old, it has a few extra problems. I have an old wood stain baby grand piano. The last time the piano tuner was here, one of the bass strings broke, and he had to order a new one. He spent Friday afternoon fixing my piano, and tuning the other piano that I teach piano lessons on---for believe it or not, my students do not like my baby grand. I was almost done with the kombucha, when the piano tuner was done. I walked him out to his vehicle, and a woman drove up to buy two of my turkey hens that I have for sale. So, Papa and I headed out back to catch her up two turkeys. Then I finished up the kombucha and made dinner. Mom was spending her afternoon packaging eggs. Papa spent his day putting sheep and cows out on the green grass, then bringing them back in to the hay. He also took over filling up the holes around the milking parlor---wheelbarrow loads of dirt can be real heavy, just ask Mom’s back.
Till the Cows come Home
Saturday was a special day as our friend Alison came up to show us what she has accomplished on the new website, and to get pictures for the website. She arrived around 11:30---while we were in the middle of bottling milk and packing the Gainesville order. Alison was eager to help, and got to experience first-hand how we pack orders, make receipts and get an order ready for delivery. Then it was lunch time. Mom took Alison to the garden with her, and they harvested some lettuce for a fresh “Garden” salad. Makenna had already helped me pick all the red carrots, and I had harvested a few green onions. While Mom and Alison brought in the lettuce, I made some pumpkin muffins and put on some chicken broth for us to drink. Hey, some people drink coffee, we drink hot chicken broth. Yum! Yum! While Mom made the salad, Alison and I discussed the website and passed ideas back and forth. After lunch Mom had to take Moises home, and Alison and I fed the lambs. When Mom got home, it was past time to bring the cows in---but that was okay, for it gave Alison a chance to get pictures of the cows coming down the lane. Then we headed to the garden to get some “Garden Fresh” pictures. It was then going on 4:00, and Alison had to head home. After she left, Mom and I cleaned up the kitchen, and sat down to relax for a little while. Around 5:30 we realized that Papa wasn’t home yet, and that we had better go bring in the sheep and separate the calves for the night. Before we got out of the yard though, Papa turned into the driveway. We still went and did some of the chores, so that it wouldn’t be too late by the time he came inside to eat dinner.
I hope you have had a great week, and are looking forward to a new one. I know that I am definitely looking forward to warmer weather---it will be good painting weather too!
Serving you with Gladness,
Tiare