A pudgy, orange-bellied fox squirrel is racing around my big lawns today, burying-- so quickly!-- half-cobs of field corn that the pickers missed. Will he return for them? Our three outdoor cats usually discourage any squirrels from staying here. Will corn sprout in my lawn next summer?
The super-abundant garden and apple tree produce is nearly gone, with only a half-dozen beets, kohlrabi and red cabbages remaining, along with 100 lbs of butternut squash. A few pounds of tomatoes will still turn red. We roasted all of these vegetables and the last summer squash for dinner last night.
I took nearly 100 lbs. of summer squash, tomatoes, cucumbers, and butternut squash to the food shelf in nearby Norwood Young America this summer. My friend Trisha, City Mouse, took another 10-15 lbs. of tomatoes and eggplant to the St. Paul food shelf, and the same to other St. Paul friends. I've never donated it all, like that, before-- though I did give some summer squash to the lady at the McDonald's drive-through, once-- and always to the local librarians.
Much of the U.S. was bone-dry this summer, but Minnesota had regular rains through August. It's been dry since then, but today, it's finally really raining, turning to wet snow.
I am finishing up college financial aid applications for my daughter while it sleets outside. My biggest worry of the year, my unwell husband, leaves his cane at home now when he goes to work, still limping somewhat from his cancer surgery. He's doing great!
I spun wool at the Minnesota Zoo over the last two weekends. My spinning guild, the Northern Lights Handspinners, was asked to provide volunteers. It was a lot of fun to explain, even if 50 times over, how a spinning wheel works, what kind of fiber I'm spinning (wool! of course!) and what kind of animal it came from. The children were adorable, the adults very interesting and appreciative.
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| Two on the left and one on the furthest right need homes. I'll use the scurred guy quickly -- this week only! |
One of my 5 little Shetland rams otherwise destined for the freezer on the 21st went to a good home-- I am so happy! That's Apollo, the registered, 2-yr. old, polled moorit. We do get attached to them if they are sweet-tempered and have been here awhile. Another black fine wooled shetland, upper right here, also has a home. The two in the center are Finnsheep, who will stay here.
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Mapleton: mioget polled-- large mom, abundant fleece, sweet.
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Three more 2012 ram lambs remain-- two brown and one black. One brown is scurred, meaning he possesses genes to produce both horned and polled lambs. His wool looks the BEST-- purly, crimpy and fine. He is almost TOO friendly. The other 3 are pretty good lambs, too-- but we only need one this year.
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One of LRO Candy, the HST ewe's, twins. Shy, super black (no sunbleaching),
tail could be tinier. |
Ok, back to that pesky application.
It's on a golf course. We don't golf. I don't care. I just wanted to look out on something nearly as pretty as my own pastures were.
I asked my husband to go outside and take hoarfrost photos on Sunday, and to please photograph the silly ewes walking in a line. The snow is less than a foot deep, but they will rarely deviate from the path they've trodden from feeder to shelter to fenceline where they hang out with the neighboring rams. The result was stunning.
