They will rebuild the ruined cities and live in them. They will plant vineyards and drink their wine; they will make gardens and eat their fruit.
From a talk given at a confirmation retreat a few weeks ago. I have been trying to write it out ever since, but haven't been able to get to it until today. I suppose, since yesterday was Good Shepherd Sunday, that is quite fitting. 10 “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who does not enter… Continue reading Jesus, Me, and the Sheep
Our four-footed lawnmowers did an excellent job mowing the lawn around the garden. Before... After. In only two days they ate it down to the ground, and enjoyed it immensely. Unfortunately, there isn't enough grass there to keep them happy long term, so we moved them back to the pasture. The pasture is still not… Continue reading A Very Helpful Winnie
Last Thursday was a highly unusual day. The kids all had a sleepover at Deedee and Papa's house, and Mommy had an extra shift at work, so Daddy had a morning and part of an afternoon to work on the farm. However, first things first. On a weekday with no other responsibilities, it is always… Continue reading Project Day
Nothing goes better with late winter weather than soup and fresh bread. Especially when you have been Rosary ruck marching. Like a man. Saturday was a divide and conquer day. After First Saturday Mass, Mommy and the older girls went shopping for one set of necessities (mostly fabric), while Daddy and the little two went… Continue reading Saturdays and Soups
Earlier this year we put plant protectors around a bunch of our orchard shrubs and pasture trees. This was in order to facilitate letting the sheep and cows pulse through the orchard to mow the grass down for us, without letting them browse all the leaves off the figs, mulberries and currants (I'm looking at… Continue reading Protecting the Orchard Plants… more.
Monday was one of those days. We hustled hard first thing to get to the farm early, because it is Michaelmas and we wanted to get Iris back out on pasture. Why on Michaelmas? Because it's fun to say, and because it's memorable. It's a fixed feast at the end of September that I can… Continue reading Not much gets done some days.
The last sheep were so easy to raise, and so tasty, that we decided to get some more sheep. This time, we want to get ewes so we can breed our own sheep instead of buying feeder rams every year. The initial expense is greater, but over the next 2 years they should pay for… Continue reading New Sheepies!
We had a good pile of bones from the lamb after all the butchering last week. We froze them temporarily, just to keep them from spoiling until we got around to dealing with them. Last Monday, the 6th, we roasted them in the oven, and then put them in the roaster. This has become our… Continue reading Lamb Stock
Tuesday, December 31, we cut up the sheep. This is our first attempt at butchering an animal larger than poultry, so we don't know what we are doing. We have a book. The sheep were chilled in a <40 degree shop overnight, wrapped in cheesecloth to slow water loss. First step, remove the neck. Next… Continue reading Butcher and Packing the Sheep
Little Farm in the Big City 