My Favorite Time of Year

October 19, 2009 by Breeze Hill Farm

12797_Autumnview

This photo was taken at a friends farm in the Shenandoah Valley last year. I use it throughout the year as a screen saver..when it doesn’t look like this here. In a couple more weeks, I’ll have more photos of Fall to remind me of my favorite time of year. There is something so incredibly wonderful and exhilarating about Autumn. I remember as a child, sitting in the swing, on late afternoons during Fall days, marveling at the difference in lighting. It in itself was a paint scheme for the artist’s palette, then add the magnificent colors of the trees and summer grasses and oh my, it made it even more breathtaking. The Indian Summer or the cool Fall crispness to the air all make this a beautiful and memorable time for me as I’m sure it does for many others. As I sit here and type, I can almost smell the wood and leaf burning wafting through the air and the taste of fresh apple cider with a short shot of bourbon teasing my tongue. Of course, as a child it was virgin apple cider! Ah, what a wonderful time!

With Autumn, at Breeze Hill Farm, comes the season for breeding and fiber growth. The goats are busy working on the babies that will come in Spring. The sheep and goats both are starting their heavy fiber growing season in anticipation of Winter. We are cleaning stalls, getting the pastures broken up and fertilized and cleaning up downed wood, acorns and leaves. There is always a lot to do…always and I wouldn’t have it any other way!

Well, I’m making soap and lotion like crazy this week in anticipation of great sales this upcoming holiday season. I can’t wait to get back out to the markets and open houses. To see those friends that we only see once a year and to make new friends. I spend my days doing this and my nights knitting so there will be a good stock from both sides of the farm.

If They Could Talk!

October 15, 2009 by Breeze Hill Farm

Thought that since it is a rainy day here and not much to Blog about, I’d post a couple of pictures. I’ve added my take on what they might be saying or thinking just to jazz it up a bit. I hope you enjoy!

"I know I'll get caught but that grass sure is greener!"

"Please don't make me get up..it's time for a little me time!"

"I've got to do something..even if it's bad!"

"Are you kidding???"

"I'm giving you my mean look..run damnit!"

" Oh dear Lord, what on earth is that dog doing?"

" Naomi: You're really comfortable! Ashley: Why me?"

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again…I love this life! Everyday there is so much to do and at times it gets to be overwhelming but all I need to do is spend some time with the critters and I remember why it is all worthwhile.

On a business note. I’ve received countless emails questioning why our lotions are not available on our website right now. Well that’s an easy one..they are all sold out. Next week I’ll be making up new batches and once they are ready, I’ll bring the inventory on the website up. Crazy season is upon us from now until December 24th, so inventory figures are subject to change by the minute.

Until tomorrow..speaking of tomorrow, it’s Friday, that means Fiber Art’s Friday..be sure to join in. Have a good evening!

Short One….

October 6, 2009 by Breeze Hill Farm

I posted to my Blog on September 28, 2009..making reference to a song “Sheep Go To Heaven…Goat’s Go To Hell”. Someone either commented on the post or emailed me (not sure which because I can’t find the question that was asked) and asked who did the song. Well through a bit of research, I found that the song title is “Sheep Go To Heaven…Goat’s Go To Hell” and here’s the answer for who did it:

” Cake”

Check it out on “You Tube”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e0mx5ERj1eI

This song is really special (weird kind of special), odd, different, not my cup of tea but somehow strangely true! I still maintain, being a sheep and goat owner, that it’s fitting.

"I resemble that remark!"

Fall Fiber Festival & Sheepdog Trials

October 5, 2009 by Breeze Hill Farm

Yesterday we decided a day off from everything was necessary for mental and physical health. We got up early, took care of the livestock and headed for Montpelier in Orange county, VA, to the Fall Fiber Festival & Sheepdog Trials.

What a beautiful day! We still can’t believe how clear the air was . It was a little cool when we left home but by the time we arrived, it was in the mid 70’s. An added benefit to the trip was the leaves are starting to turn. We took in everything – all 5 large tents with rows of vendors selling everything fiber – beautiful hand dyed silk and wool blend yarns and rovings – there was a lot of yarn. It seemed that the vendors choose to cater more to the hand worker than the spinner.

We passed by the outside tents and went over to the Livestock Exhibit tent. They had a good example of various different fiber producing animals – the Angora Rabbits, Llama and Alpaca were not represented very well in this exhibit but I later found more of them in the outside tents. After looking around we found our friends Magi & Jay from Magi’s Wood Farm, you know, where we just got our Icelandic’s from.

Magi & Me

She was happy to see me because she had let a child play with her wheel and it wasn’t working. She’s been having a problem with it every since she got it but it was worse. Later in the day, hubby found the same wheel and discovered her problem is incorrect set up. Hopefully the pictures he took of the correct set up will fix her problem.

Hubby wanted to take in the sheep shearing demos and I really did want to check out those outside tens, so I left him. My first stop was the Fleece Sale tent. Lot’s of beauties in there. I found a CVM Sheep fleece that was really beautiful – when I looked at the price, I came very close to passing out – 2.2 lbs./$102.00. Needless to say that didn’t come home with me.

As I walked by the outside tents – something caught my eye – A spinning wheel! It looked to be very much like an Ashford Traditional but then again..it didn’t. I’m not going to tell you the price yet. This wheel had suffered a child assult on Saturday and it was broken. I got a handful of roving and a chair and set out to fix this cool little wheel. Whatever this child had done to it, I don’t know but it would not spin at all. Hubby came to find me and got involved in the fixing process. An hour later, I walked away with a fixed $60.00 spinning wheel! It is a mystery wheel though. I’ve added a photo, maybe one of you may have an idea about who made it. It does need work but it will spin yarn.

The New Old Wheel

Armed with mystery wheel, we set out for food and Sheepdog Trials. I was a bit disappointed in the food options. In years past there has been lamb chili and fruit plates. Not so this year, so we got a heavy BBQ, set up our chairs and became spectators. The dog trials were great! We stayed to the end and we got lots of photos.

At The Pen - Look real hard..see the green on her shoulder? It's a Parrot!

Trial Shot

"Nice Job"

This lady works without a crook or a whistle..she's amazing!

"The Shed"

"The Pen"

It’s so enjoyable watching a dog work..they take their job seriously. I am so happy we have 7 Border Collies of our own to work with.

We left the event feeling invigorated and hungry. In the town of Orange we went to a restaurant called the Silk Mill Grille. As you may have guessed from the name, it is an old Silk Mill and the place is decorated much of the old salvaged accessories and processing equipment. Had a great meal and we were home by 7:00.

I have a lot of readers that know very little about this side of my life – they know me for the goats and goats milk products. You see fiber and fiber arts is my true passion. Any opportunity I get to do a day like this, I will put all else aside to do it. My only regret – Didn’t go both days!

I’m going to add an events page to my Blog so everyone might have an opportunity to see and possibly attend what’s going on the rest of 2009. Some I will be a vendor..some I will just visit.

Parting comments and a little rant! Please, if you bring your children to events like the Fall Fiber Festival, try to pay attention to what they are doing. One of the wheels that was messed up yesterday is a several thousand dollar wheel. We want everyone to come to these events..especially children, they are the ones who will keep this going in the future but vendors and demonstrators put their life into this and it shouldn’t be destroyed by an adults carelessness of not watching their child. At this event, I saw big pulls of rovings run off with, a driveband ripped right off a spinning wheel, Angora bunnies being plucked through the sides of their cage by uncontrolled little fingers, hand crafted wooden knitting needles being used as swords and a grape snow cone dropped on a beautiful silk scarf. Please bring your children and please be good, aware parents! Rant is done.

Have a wonderful day!

Ricky & Holly’s Great Adventure

September 28, 2009 by Breeze Hill Farm

The other day we heard a song, “Sheep Go To Heaven…Goat’s Go To Hell”. Being the owners of both, we could definitely see how someone could come up with a song like this, however this morning our new Icelandic girls tried to make good on sheep going to heaven – sort of.

Yesterday marked the beginning of Ricky and Holly’s third week here. They have done very well, are hearty grazers, tolerate the other sheep and goat’s and they love us for “grain bucket”, you know. All has been right with the world. Anyone who has been to our farm knows that the fencing isn’t in real good shape and we have a fence fund that we use to add new sections. By 2020 we should have all new fencing so we can start all over again..I digress. Apparently, our new girls have been intensely working on the fence line trying to find a way out since they’ve been here and this morning they found the “magic hole” and off they went.

Usually when we’ve had escapee’s, it’s been the greener grass other side thing – not so with them. They were on a Monday morning stroll. Our neighbor called and said “your buddies are out” and shocked, I said “our sheep?”. She said they were on their way to her house. With Pj’s still on, out the door I ran. When I got to the clearing at the neighbors..no sheep. Hubby ran down to the barn to see who was missing, it was the Icelandic’s. He grabbed a bucket of grain and came up to join me. We looked all over the place for them. The fields on both sides of us, the field across the road, of course our fields..nothing. We checked around our neighbors outbuildings, still no sheep. Where the hell are they? At that moment, I looked over at the church and there grazing in front were our two girls.

You will have to visualize this because when livestock escapes, you don’t normally carry a camera not to mention, grain bucket makes them move quickly. This church is white clapboard, historic landmark that sits just downhill from us. It has the old cemetery to the side and a tall white steeple. You have no idea what a beautiful scene this was. Very spiritual..very serene. We enjoyed it for a moment and with one shake of the bucket it was back to reality. We got them back in the pasture, found the hole in the fence and repaired it.

At our farm, when the goats get out, they get into trouble and get arrested. The sheep go to church! I guess Ricky and Holly’s adventure just proved the song right..sheep must have a higher calling.