First snow of the season!

First winter in the Shenandoah Valley, and we're so excited  for snow! :-D The expected ice storm to follow, not so much.

 

Hay, delicious hay!

 

 

These guys aren't getting cold with that wool!

 

Mr Baxter & Chessies fat belly

 

Chessie staring down the ducks. Looks like she's been rolling in the stickers, but those will have to wait to be brushed out until after the ice storm.

 

Ducks like snow. Go figure.

 

Cuties!

Happy sheep! Haha

 

The Tobaggan!

 

wooooooo!

 

Got too cold, abandoned the boot.

 

<3

 

Passage Creek, beautiful in the snow!

 

Mr Bojangles prefers to forage

 

It's really coming down, now!

 

 

Sheep taking cover under the trampoline.

 

 

BRRRR

 

Cozy inside! <3

 

For more information on our farm, please visit http://samsbillthepony.wix.com/getting-liberty#

Holiday time, and newcomers!

Well, autumn has slipped by and now we're into December on our little farm. We have some new additions to our Icelandic flock. Due to a sad and freak accident, we lost out gorgeous moorit ram, Ysildur. Because breeding season isn't quite over, we found a breeder in the Shenandoah Valley and found another breeding pair to ensure spring lambs. I'm hoping beyond hope that Ysildur covered our ewes before passing away. This is our new ewe, Anukah. Fell in love the color of her wool! She's a good size and will hopefully breed this winter.

 

This is our new Ram, a 2 yr old that our sons named Thorin. He doesn't have quite the impressive set of horns as Ysildur, but he is much larger and more muscular, with a nice confirmation.  We decided to go with him for that reason.

 

 

The pair! :)

 

 

Hungry!

 

 

Anukah...LOVE  her coloring! I'm not sure what to call it. Her undercoat is very black, but the long wool almost has a magenta-brown sheen to it.

 

 

Mr. BoJangles, taking it easy.

 

 

Ysabel, most of her winter wool grown back in.

 

 

Thorin was named Sheepdog by his previous owner, partially for his mild temperament, but also for his coloring! Hah!

 

 

 

Our oldest daughter down by our creek, enjoying the late autumn colors.

 Pink pumpkin... makes the most amazing pies!

 

Virginia in late autumn, almost heaven. 

 

 

With the occasional bigfoot sighting...

 

 

Autumn baking. Chocolate chip pumpkin muffins!

 

 

Preparing pies for Thanksgiving.

 

 

One of these days I will have this old wood stove up and running to bake our pies in... 

 

Pumpkin pie from the pink pumpkin!

 

We actually had a little bit of snow on Thanksgiving weekend! And by little, I mean little. What you see, is what we got!  Hopefully we'll get a more impressive storm later in winter so that we can get out the old wooden toboggan. We have the BEST sledding hill!

 



 

We always put up our trees over Thanksgiving weekend. This is our Mt. Vernon Tree, with the ornaments we've collected so from General George Washingtons amazing estate. One of our most favorite places in all the world to visit!

 

The family decorating. <3

 

 

Saying goodbye to our daughter at the airport, as she leaves to serve a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. 

 

 

Cozy!

 

Baaa-by, it's cold outside!

For more information on our farm, please visit http://samsbillthepony.wix.com/getting-liberty#

Our farm in autumn.

 
 

 

Autumn has to be my favorite season in the Shenandoah Valley! The oppressive summer heat and humidity is gone,  the horses are starting to get their fuzzy winter coats, charming country homes decorated with pumpkins and cornstalks are everywhere, and the colors are breathtaking! This morning I went for a run with my hubby. The air was brisk and the leaves were in full autumn color. We found ourselves down a country lane where the only thing to be seen were the mountains, corn fields, and a little white Lutheran church. No wonder common sense and clear thinking reign in the country and in the flyover states! How can your mind be cluttered and confused when you are surrounded with so much peace?

 

Well, with the changing seasons it was time to shear Ysildur again with the help of our cute sister missionaries. 

 

 

In autumn he is in his full breeding glory and stinks to high heaven, but gave us some beautiful wool! It takes much longer to use scissors, but I make less nicks in the skin and get less second cuts this way, even if it's a humiliating chop job.

 

 

I wish I looked that skinny after a haircut! ;-)

Here is Ysildur with his snotty nose, begging for a treat.

 

 

Some boys from church helped me identify the obnoxious balls all over my yard that I kept slipping on. Black walnuts! I did a little wandering and have found 8 trees so far, but because of the rather extensive work involved in processing them, I've only managed to forage under 3. After crushing them and picking out the nuts ( wearing gloves to avoid the heavy stain, but especially the little fly maggots- blegh) I put them in a wheel barrel and swish them around.

 

 

The washed nuts, ready to dry. One tree worth!

 

After laying out to dry for 2 weeks, that batch gave us 4 orange bags full of walnuts, and here you see a white Icelandic skein of yarn dyed in a walnut husk dye. I love the gorgeous copper color!

 

We have one ancient Asian pear tree that gave us a few jars worth of canned fruit. I'm hoping to take cuttings and start a few saplings.

I'm experimenting with something new...water kefir grains. I'm not too sure about the fermented taste yet, but with a little coconut flavoring and sweetener, it's like a mild ginger ale.  They love the mineral content of our spring water here and are growing like crazy. I have a bunch of these starts! 



More gem corn. I am in love with growing this corn! The kids often argued over whose turn it was to pick the ripened ears, because it was so much fun to see the color varieties! I am growing twice as many next year. It makes yummy popcorn!

 



 

It was so fun to make this swag for our 205 yr old fireplace. It looks so colonial. :)

 

 

Autumn means comfort food. My favorite easy cookie recipe... 1 cup peanut butter, 1 cup sugar, 1 egg, 1/2 c chocolate chips. Combine, bake at 350 for 8 minutes. Easy, easy, and delicious!

 

Rooster with rice soup...warms us up on the rainy days.

 

 

This was a little experiment for a friend, making a crocheted lamb out of spun wool. OK, so it looks more like a dog...

 

A not so joyful event this autumn. Replacing our septic system. :-(  We could save 20 grand and opt for this instead...its not far from the house. We'd probably need to move the trampoline. ;-)

 

 

Virginia...my forever home!

 

  Blue Ridge mountains.

  

 

Dude, where's our grain?

 Chessie, hanging with the chickens.

My last 3 quarantined sheep. They have soaking boots on this week. If this last treatment doesn't work on their feet, I'm afraid it's to the freezer. Sadly, my favorite ones! :( They love running around the yard... Mr. Bojangles walks up to the back door and peeks in the house looking for me, hoping for a pretzel or a slice of apples, lol. 

 

I mentioned rooster soup...I guess we'll be buying chicks at the poultry swap instead of growing our own. We're not so country that we enjoy the 4:00, 5:00 and 6:00 am alarm clock.

 



 

Nothing about farm life with this photograph, except that this is hands down, the most adorable thing on this farm. :-D (No, I'm not talking about sock monkey.)

 

 

And by far, the most exciting, and best thing to happen here this month is my husband and oldest daughter going through the Washington DC Temple, of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, together with me for the first time. Our cup that is already so rich and blessed, is filled to overflowing.

 

 

For more information on our farm, please visit http://samsbillthepony.wix.com/getting-liberty#

& h/t to my oldest daughter for some of the great photography !