NO !!! nothing !! not even a sign….Misty Moo is still just Misty Moo, very fat, very affectionate and very pregnant. Constant cow butt surveys haven’t induced her, Misty just enjoys the attention and the back pocket goodies “oh..you want to check my butt again….honey/apple horse treat please”. A variety of worst case scenario…and even worse case scenario situations plaguing my tortured mind were intensified during a conversation in the rain yesterday ( yes, it is still raining…a LOT !!). Heidi a nurse checking on our nursery status ( that isn’t !) happened to mention MERCONIUM and that about sent me over the proverbial edge. Maybe today …..?

Poor Molly the blonde ewe didn’t make it, making little Shrimp an official orphan. Little Shrimp may be shrimp size but that little lady has a set of lungs and a baaaaa that could be responsible for the Californian earthquakes. Last night as the sun set and the rain continued to fall the tiny lamb’s new life began. Shrimp’s new home is a dog house and lamb and dog house were loaded into the truck bed with a bedraggled wet Bran the Border Collie. My newly half remodelled kitchen has again become an extension of the sheep barn and my sleep is interrupted by a bawling hungry lamb. Shrimp has designated the clearly bewildered dog her new mom and with no where to escape, Bran wanders the kitchen followed by a little lamb in a baggy newborn’s diaper. When it all gets a little too much, Bran retires to his king size Costco dog bed, nose into the corner determined to ignore the bothersome Shrimp but clearly the lamb hasn’t yet discovered body language and promptly bounces into his man space. It shouldn’t happen to a dog !

Kevin is taking a well earned day off, all week he has seen the best and the worst of life on the ranch, he has had sunshine ( a little) and rain ( a lot !!) he has seen birth and death and he has lived a life that only a rancher can experience. Thank you Kevin, sleep well, you deserve it !
Enjoy the photos !!
Take care, keep safe, M

Misty Moo is still holding out ! Clearly our very pregnant and now several days overdue Jersey cow is in no hurry to become a mom. It seems that most of our days are being spent peering anxiously at her nether regions. We are quickly becoming world experts at the topography of a cows butt…. watching and waiting for even one slight indication that the calf is on it’s way. Misty welcomes the company, she enthusiastically accepts all treats, happily accepts our visits and quizzically watches our all too frequent scrutinizing of the swollen area under her tail. Her udder is engorged….we are SO ready !! We have taken advice from those that know…apparently our little cup cake just needs a little more time in the oven. At this rate, cup cake is going to burn! ! Greg has a dentist appointment today I guess Sod’s law says that if Junior is going to arrive any time soon….it will certainly…positively… categorically be when Greg has his mouth full of dental putty !

Molly the Soay ewe without a milky bar appears to have responded to Greg and Kevin’s diligent ministrations or maybe she overheard the rather unsavoury discussion concerning her value as Sunday dinner. Sadly…or fortunately for the blonde ewe, Molly has barely enough covering to make a miniscule shepherds pie and even more fortunately, little Shrimp her lamb takes comfort from her inadequate mom. Kevin became a REAL farmer whilst bottle feeding the tiny lamb….Shrimp pooped on his leg. I guess they say you aren’t a rider till you have fallen off a horse, every farmer is bound at some time to feel the smelly, sticky warmth of excrement. Kevin now ensures that Shrimp’s butt is well padded with a well placed towel !

The rain has been falling …again. During some breaks in the heavy dark cloud cover Greg and Kevin have been erecting a fence. During the rain storms the boy team have been busily transforming a log into lumber and Kevin has been introduced to Greg’s arsenal of boy’s toys. Misty has been much on our minds but life on the ranch must continue.

Time to go, take care keep safe and dry, M

I hardly know where to begin….Spring has sprung, the leaves are “leafing” ( editors prerogative….?) and the buds are budding. The grass is growing as we watch and Mr. And Mrs. Canada Goose have returned to the ranch to do what they clearly do best.  MJ Fox 13 meteorologist  enthused about the rising temperatures…today was the warmest day of the year….but tomorrow and the rest of the week are  going to be consistently wet adding inches of rainfall to our already record monthly total. Future Pacific NW residents will undoubtedly evolve with fins and gills !

The warm Spring sunshine brought out a very unfamiliar desire to work in the garden ( am I ill ??) and, having relocated the various gardening tools that I had apparently unsuccessfully tried to lose last Fall,  I meandered through the thriving weed garden that had typically survived the ravages of Doris the matriarch Black Tail doe and her extended ….( and extended some more) relatives whilst my corn, lettuce, grapes raspberries etc….provided their breakfast / evening / night time smorgasbord. My raised strawberry beds weren't merely in distress, the decimated plants were needing life support and I was the one for the job. (sadly !!)

It may have been noticed that no mention has been made of Misty Moo our lovely VERY pregnant Jersey cow….that’s because our lovely pregnant Jersey cow is still just that, VERY VERY pregnant and overdue. Curious readers may wonder how we can be so certain, my response is definitive (and not very romantic ). Misty Moo didn’t wander off into the pasture with a handsome Jersey bull, Wayne the man arrived at 12.30pm. with a semen straw and the deed was done the calendar doesn't lie and yesterday was THE day. Greg and I spent the night sleepwalking through the barn waiting for the patter of tiny hooves which never came. Greg has just done the 5am check and the signs are there that a mini Misty is on her way ( just a LITTLE excited !!!)

We would like to introduce Baby Doll and Momma Bear our new arrivals on the ranch ( The woolly lady with the black face with a white spot is as yet nameless and awaiting inspiration) . Looking more like a bunch of Sasquatch than sheep they were introduced to our horrified Katahdin ladies and their  startled lambs. Bernie the new yearling ram weighing about 160 Lbs joined Rodney the ram in the celibate man cave. It has to be mentioned, Rodney the ageing ram was less than impressed by the young upstart and courageously ( stupidly !) promptly challenged his existence. Happily the new comers have settled in to life at the ranch and by evening feed time, three big woolly butts were munching alongside their much smaller barn friends. Collecting the ewes and ram wasn’t without event ( is anything ever ?). Greg, WWOOFER Kevin and I were instrumental in getting them into the stock trailer which they clearly were determined not to do. Whilst Kevin pushed and Greg pulled one by one they were “persuaded” . Sadly (for me) the third big woolly ewe, with me stubbornly (stupidly) hanging on, elected to fly through the air like a cannon ball. Even more sadly for me…I didn’t fly….I HURT !

Kevin our young volunteer has become poppa to a tiny Soay lamb. Mom, Molly the blonde ewe is sadly willing but with a milky bar that never opened little “Shrimp” was struggling to survive and clearly human intervention is becoming inevitable. There is a very good chance that my farm kitchen will once again become an extension of the sheep barn….so much for my kitchen remodeling !All around the barn and pastures young Kevin is becoming familiar with the life of a farmer. Early mornings, late meals, inclement weather, birth and death are all an integral part of our life and our newest WWOOFER volunteer is happy to be part of it all. Thank you for your willingness to learn and your Enthusiasm to partake of any and all the ranch activities.

Time to go, take care, keep safe.  M

Sadly Daniel and Alicia returned to reality...city life and school yesterday. We had a lovely week with our young niece and nephew from Albuquerque and look forward to their next visit (s) ( I have a VERY strong suspicion that they will be back ) Thanks for all your help, you will be missed.

Whilst Alicia and Daniel were preparing to leave, our most recent WWOOFER volunteer arrived at the ranch. We are happy to welcome Kevin who will be here for perhaps our busiest season and is (thankfully) anxious and eager to learn and (even more thankfully) happy to get down and dirty ! Kevin's stay here will coincide with the imminent birth of our long awaited Jersey calf which will mean milking and bottle feeding will be added to our busy daily schedule. In the ranch vegetable gardens the soil needs turning, seeds need sowing and weeds need pulling. In the orchards, Spring has almost sprung.... the blossom is ready to pop, the leaves are starting to show and busy bees are already hard at work. Spring means work in the garden, work in the orchards and work in the fields, Lunch will be later...dinner will be still later and bed will be heaven !  

Kevin had a busy first day, having hit the ground running, he learnt to drive the old green tractor and...having mastered the art of working the creaking bucket was soon out in Lulu's Field helping Greg move fallen trees. Working in tandem the tractors carried the logs back to the ranch ready for milling. By default ( the original jockey took fright as she realized just how BIG lumpy Lady is !!) Kevin got to ride. Fortunately our novice WWOOFER and non rider had little or no time to get anxious and before he had time to say "no" he was astride the big Shire mare and heading out of the barnyard on the end of a reassuring leadline. Kevin's first ride was a success, Lady had no tantrums, the sun shone and Kevin was smiling as he trotted unaided back through the ranch gates. Well done Kevin !    

   Molly the old Soay ewe didn't look long for this world, we had long ago decided that the ageing sheep wasn't going to lamb this year and her future was dim but Molly had a surprise for the ranch team as the sun set last night ( yes....dinner was in the stove and we were late ! AGAIN). Molly the blonde soay had a little mini Molly at her feet and she was busily cleaning it up ready for her introduction to the sheep family.

Time to post this entry...the cuckoo clock has spoken. Take care, keep safe, M

The weather has over the past few days been less than perfect, the clouds have been heavy and grey the rain almost consistent but around the ranch the sun has been shining in the smiles of our newest house guests!  Alicia and Daniel our nephew and niece from sunny New Mexico are with us until Friday and are clearly determined to fit a lifetime of experiences into their short seven day visit. Together the siblings have validated that a brother and sister really can work and play together and still remain friends......not that we really work around here ...? Cow poop, sheep poop and off with the creaking wheelbarrow to all the pooopy delights of Rodney's cave before getting down to the real fun stuff. Daniel has demonstrated that he can move as fast as streak lightening.....in the chicken pen and in the cookie tin. I believe I have baked cookies for some of the most voracious cookie monsters in the USA but Daniel is unequaled in his cookie munching capacity. In the chicken pen, the young White Leghorn pullets were being relocated, our crazy little road runners have graduated from the nursery to the big girl's pen but those girls were not going to be evicted without giving the Sikora team a workout.....and they did!  Typically, Mother Nature didn't co operate with the relocation party, muddy puddles and slimy chicken poop weren't the ideal conditions for a chicken roundup but, with an over excited Bran the Border Collie supervising the operation all the indignant white pullets were introduced to Tux the rooster and his aged harem. Tux apparently thinks all his Christmas's have come at once, the older ladies were less than impressed by the new arrivals with the top heavy bright red combs but peace has once again descended on the chicken roost after a few minor squabbles and a considerable amount of squawking and feather flying. Alicia and Daniel have, with Uncle Greg been repairing fencing in the lower pasture....in the rain and  constructing a calf pen for Misty's long awaited and eagerly anticipated calf in the barn. Both have been here before and friendship's have been re kindled with Lady, Quest and palomino Charm, Misty has made two new friends and Daisy Mae has more back scratchers. Chance and Alice always available to accept a carrot morsel have had to compete with the cute and cuddly lamb brat pack for attention and Bran is enjoying two more subjects to share his home and ranch with.
Time constraints as usual have curtailed my brain dump but I don't want to close this entry without welcoming our new GREAT nephew born in Holland to Nadine and Coen, a grandson for sister Trish. Congratulations and best wishes to the new little family. A visit from son Matt and our grandsons Brennon and Cameron must also be mentioned....it was great to see both boys astride Lady the big Shire and heading off up the trail with proud granddad Greg. It has been a fun week. Time to go...Take care, keep safe and dry, M

Well, Greg and I really managed it this time ! All week our two lovely young WWOOFER volunteers, Tyler and Emily helped out on the ranch..Emily and Tyler scooped poop,  gave our momma sheep manicures and bathed and fed their tiny lambs. Emily and Tyler learned to drive the tractor, use chainsaws and the saw mill, they cared for the horses and rode Lady, the big Shire mare. Emily and Tyler had a wonderful week on the ranch, they even painted their memory arrows in what spare time they had (not a lot !!) ....sadly, TYLER wasn't TYLER, Tyler was Taylor and she was too polite to correct us. What makes it even more embarrassing is...I occasionally called her Taylor in error and corrected myself !  I guess we can call it a "senior week". Sadly Taylor and Emily have left the ranch to return to the real world at the end of their alternative Spring Break vacation, we wish them happiness and success for the future and thank them for giving us many happy memories. Take care girls.

Misty Moo our adorable Jersey cow is only eight days away from giving birth to her first calf and her udder is growing at an alarming rate.  Clearly, we are not the only interested party, Bran has a vested interest in the milky bar as he is traditionally the recipient of the first few drops after milking. Bringing the cows in from the pasture it didn't escape our notice that the Border Collie was paying exclusive attention to Misty and particular attention to the swelling appendages.  He had better be cautious, one kick from our hormonal cow and Bran could be seriously sorry !!

It was young Natalie's 11th birthday party and after an aggressive attack on a Piñata, munching yummy German chocolate birthday cake and a rousing rendition of Happy Birthday the guests adjourned the party to visit the lambs. I'm convinced the children had a great time.....not too sure about the squirming lambs though !

Personalities are beginning to evolve in the sheep pen. We apparently have the playful, the mischievous, the  passive aggressive and the bullies in the lamb brat pack. All day the little balls of fluff bound around the pen, little legs leap into the air, jump onto and over increasingly irritated ewes and run circles around frantic moms.  We are still expecting up to ten lambs, clearly the Soay ewes didn't surrender easily to Rodney the ram's ardent attention but heavily rounded bodies and swelling udders indicate that the ladies will typically produce when we are least expecting...when it is pouring rain, snowing or dinner time !  

We'd like to welcome Alicia and Daniel back to the ranch. Our niece and nephew from Albuquerque New Mexico have come for a weeks vacation...REALLY ???? since when is a week at the ranch a vacation ?. It will be a fun week and we are looking forward to sharing it with them. If the rain keeps falling we will be swimming to the barn !

Time to go, take care, keep safe and dry, M

Good morning everyone! Oh ... Oh... Its already time to get ready for the barn and I'm just starting. Maureen gave me the assignment and I got busy with other tasks and FORGOT!!. So as always, this will be short. As you can tell the girls have been enjoying themselves learning new tasks and lending a hand. Yesterday was also time to let the 4 new lambs out into the bright new world. Now there are 8, so the "Brat Pack" has more power to cause chaos in the sheep pen. The poor mums are anxious to get out into the fields where they can escape to the other end away from the marauding young ones. We will try to get some video. Enjoy the sunshine and hope you have a great day. Take care and keep safe. G  

There was a battle raging in our bedroom at 5am this morning.....the alarm clock struggled against the warm snuggly comforter with me in the middle ( siding unashamedly with the bed !).  The alarm clock won but it was close !

So, it's another dreary Monday here in the Pacific North West. With apologies to the East Coast who would possibly  (undoubtedly !) trade in their snow and ice for our endless rain.....I'm still going to grumble, just a little. We have had record rainfall already this month, our sleepy creeks are raging white waters and the waterline has teetered on the banks threatening flooding fields and the road. ...but Greg is smiling. His flood prevention scheme through the Summer, aided and abetted by family ( digging holes and filling them in) and our WWOOFER volunteers ( digging more holes and filling them in) have held, the rain falls incessantly but the fields are draining and, as planned, the ditches are full. Thanks guys !!

It's fun having Emily and Tyler around. Some kids go to play on a warm sunny sandy tropical beaches, our two friends are spending their Spring Break here on the ranch and so far have  traded their beach wear for rubber boots and rain suits with apparently no regrets.

When you are a tall 5 foot 9 inches, Lady the big Shire mare looks big, when you are a tiny 5 foot  nothing(ish), Lady must be ENORMOUS but size is clearly not an issue for Emily and from feeding and grooming to leading out to the pasture,  our young WWOOFER has been happy to be dwarfed by our equine giant. Sadly there have been no outstanding blog bloopers which always help to inspire my literary brain download but happily the camera has managed to capture many of the happy moments and experiences that can't be found on the beach.....in the warm  tropical sunshine.  The girls have succeeded in making mucking out the cow pen look like fun and all around the ranch our rubber booted volunteers are making sure that they get the optimum experience from their alternative Spring Break.  During a welcome break in the clouds a stray ray of sunshine gave the girls a dry window of time to have a tractor driving lesson.....out in the pasture...well away from the barns, the fences and the livestock ! Clearly the lesson was a success, both trainees were still smiling, Greg didn't have a nervous melt meltdown and the tractor remains in one piece and serviceable. Under threatening clouds the grapes had a manicure ( to ensure that we have a nice healthy yield of juicy grapes for the deer to dine on. grrrrr !!!)and the trees had a trim.  Boughs from the cedar trees have been arranged in the turkey house to encourage Tom's harem to commence laying. Our intention is to hatch our own heritage turkeys again this year. Clearly Tom the turkey is ready able and very willing but the ladies are holding out. Hopefully a cozy nest in the turkey boudoir will incite something akin to enthusiasm in the turkey hens.

I have been timed out again...enjoy the photos as much as we have. Life is good !!

Take care, keep safe (and dry !). M

Out in the sheep pen little mottled brown and white lambs gambol jump and play, frantic moms try to maintain some element of discipline....exuberant lambs bring anarchy and chaos to the normally calm and peaceful barn. In the bonding pens, Chance the big white Khatadin ewe lovingly tends to her tiny twins.  All does not come naturally to the newborns, mom's milky bar is there somewhere but when you are only a few hours old it takes a little while to work out exactly where ! Searching lips have latched on to and sucked frantically on mom's knees, mom's tail produces none of the good stuff and mom's tummy is soft and warm but doesn't fill the need for milk. Chance murmurs  gentle encouragement  to her tiny offspring, her nose nudges the hungry lambs in the right direction and relaxes when the search is over, lips latch on to her swollen udder and junior's tail twitches with contentment. Chance is a model mom, her little twins are fortunate.....not so our most recent mom......

Typically, we were rushing. Tyler and Emily's arrival was imminent...it was lunchtime...we were hungry, the truck engine was running and just time for a last check on our moms in waiting. DOH !!! There was Snowflake, a first time mom who had clearly just given birth to a Martian. All the signs were that she was mom.....but the little shivering black lamb pathetically bleating to her was apparently unheard. Snowflake was looking at it in horror, she stamped her little foot in annoyance at the little wet  alien in front of her and took an "exit stage left" . Just then a little movement in the far corner of the pen caught our eye....number one Martian has a sibling....an even blacker wet shivering alien struggling to stand up. I guess that's the life of a farmer.....we were hungry ...our day had an agenda...our new WWOOFERS were due to arrive in Purdy .....and our reluctant mom had to be reunited with her clearly unwanted offspring.  Snowflake, traumatized by her unexpected ordeal quite obviously had no intention of bonding and even less intention of being put in a pen with the tiny shivering twins.  The little white ewe ensured that if she was going to be caught she wasn't going to make it easy for us and after ten circuits of the sheep pen, puffing,  panting, sweating and wondering why I gave up a desk job....Snowflake was safely contained in a bonding pen with her infant lambs. .....we had better get the bottles and teats ready...I have a bad feeling about Snowflake's maternal abilities !

Hopefully Misty Moo the big ....now VERY BIG Jersey cow will be a great mom. Our delicate little Jersey calf has turned into a hulking battleship with an udder that looks like it will feed an army. Her long awaited and eagerly anticipated calf is due in 16 days. We will keep you updated on her progress....

We would like to welcome Emily and Tyler.   The two smiling youngsters arrived at Purdy for a week at the ranch, they are going to spend their Spring break getting down and dirty on the farm and we hope that they leave here with happy memories of their experience. Welcome girls, we'll have fun.  GIRL TEAM !!!

Take care, keep safe, M

On Friday we said goodbye to Grace once again, she packed up her little brown Subaru and headed back to the city. Charm is going to miss his young friend, Tiger for sure will be searching for her and Lady the big Shire mare will be wondering where she has gone. We will miss her too but welcome her decision to return to school and wish her every success.....don't forget hay time on the ranch...all conscripts (I mean volunteers !) welcome !!! Thanks for all your help Grace, we look forward to seeing you again.

Today is the day that we REALLY start to expect the strident baaaaa of a tiny lamb when we open the big barn doors. Five months ago love was in the air...in the barn .....in the pasture.....(EVERYWHERE !!)  when Rodney the ram was turned into the sheep pen to resume his duty as gigolo extraordinaire after his Summer of enforced celibacy. Rodney the ram was not hesitant and if the ewes didn't move fast enough ...and even if they did, they were (at least for a few moments) fortunate ( or unfortunate !) enough to be the recipient of his undivided and very ardent attention.  As a consequence of his diligence, we have eleven very rotund "ladies in waiting" looking extremely uncomfortable and ready to burst. Without doubt photos will follow...LOTS of photos....babies never get old and each lambing season is welcomed with new anticipation and excitement. Oh, and, thanks to Grace, Rodney' s exclusive new man cave is ready and waiting to ensure that there will be no unscheduled visits to the harem until next Autumn. We found your grafiti Grace...I didn't find the sheets though. smile

Aside from the pending population explosion in the sheep pen, Tom the turkey is starting to feel Spring. Our turkey Romeo has, by default  got three pretty young things on which to shower his love.... and lust. I guess, by the end of the breeding season the poor turkey will be worn out. From dawn to dusk Tom works his magic, his snood transforms  into vibrant blue and red, his tail fans and  his wings spread and droop in an enticing display of male vanity. Slowly deliberately and elegantly the tom turkey poses himself ..."is this my best side ?". On the far side of the pen the three turkey hens huddle, reluctant to be the focus of his attention but Tom doesn't seem to notice...he knows his time will come...patience Tom, patience.

Yesterday, Justine, a young farm visitor worked the Gentle Giant choral society into a crescendo with all the style and skill of a big band conductor. Waving a long blade of grass and pretty as a picture in pink, Justine sang Jingle Bells.....as the blade of grass rose and fell, as it rose and fell, the band of hens watched, heads moving in unison cackling and clucking (in frustration and annoyance) just waiting for the succulent grass to fall. It will soon be Spring ladies, Spring brings gardening and gardening means weeds...LOTS of weeds. (darn it !!)

Time to post this entry, it's Sunday, I'm living in TOTAL chaos and mayhem....we are remodeling the kitchen....WHY oh WHY is the whole house upside down. Take care, keep safe, M