It Seemed Like A Good Idea At The Time

One day back in the early spring I found some super adorable tadpoles swimming around in one of the water tubs I keep next to the Wool House to collect rain water off the roof and rinse water from washing wool. 

All together now... "Awwwww..."

I love frogs.  I really love tadpoles.  This will be So Much Fun watching them grow up!

You are pretty cute.

Of course as the summer blazed on I had to provide some super attractive shade from the afternoon sun and, so they'd have enough to eat, I scooped up some plants from the actual Frog Pond, where they should have been living.

And after that, all I've been able to see is adult frogs staring at me from the top of the green.  Occasionally I pull some weeds back so I can see all the taddies below, but mostly I just see frog eyes.  

And as they have been so happy here, they've multiplied into all three tubs, so now I have to put buckets under the downspout of the barn to collect rainwater to water my plants and gardens.  That's pretty special looking, too.

If you'd like to watch it all unfold on Instagram...

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Look! A new frog pond/pool 😀. 🐸 🐸🐸😀🐸🐸🐸

A post shared by Sara Dunham (@thecrazysheeplady) on Jun 5, 2020 at 7:46am PDT

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Good morning from Tadpole Camp 😍. 🐸🐸🐸❤️🐸🐸🐸 I scooped up some plants from the Frog Pond yesterday because I can’t imagine there’s enough algae in that rain tub to feed very many tadpoles 😬.

A post shared by Sara Dunham (@thecrazysheeplady) on Jun 6, 2020 at 5:08am PDT

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Pool filter, tadpole edition. The tadpoles are living in a rain water catch tub off the side of the Wool House. I also use these tubs to recycle rinse water when I’m washing wool. We had a storm blow through this afternoon and I didn’t want the tub to overflow and wash away the babies, but I did want to take advantage of some fresh water for them. I put some of Maisie’s angel costume tulle over the top of a drink jug and pulled out a couple gallons of old water. The tulle is to keep from sucking in taddies while filling. The rain water refilled the tub and I will use the “dirty” water to water some plants 😀. Once again, no duct tape 👍.

A post shared by Sara Dunham (@thecrazysheeplady) on Jun 10, 2020 at 2:18pm PDT

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Our little garden shed friend chatting it up with a garden friend. 🐸 ❤️🐸

A post shared by Sara Dunham (@thecrazysheeplady) on Jul 23, 2020 at 7:35pm PDT

Pro-tip:  When you hear two frogs talking like that...you're going to find a bunch of new frog eggs in the morning.  Sigh...

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So much for using these tubs for soaking wool this summer. I now have tadpoles in all three 🙄.

A post shared by Sara Dunham (@thecrazysheeplady) on Jul 7, 2020 at 8:38am PDT

I haven't figured out what I'm going to do this fall.  I guess I'll scoop everyone out and release them back at the ponds.  It's been "kinda" fun, but I "kinda" hope they don't move back in next spring.

Another New Angel Among Us

Comby

2004? -  August 27, 2020

When I have to 'make the call' on an animal, I sit with them while we wait for the vet and I tell them stories about their life with us.  "Remember when..."  I thank them for being my friend and working hard on the farm and taking good care of everyone...  And then I tell them to go find [someone who was a special friend] because I sure hope we all end up somewhere together again.

"Go find Boo."

A Sweet Story About A Sweet Sheep

A couple of weeks ago I needed to run to town and pick up some groceries and pet food. Or, I should say, go to town to pick up pet food...and some groceries ;-).  

I shop mostly at the small family owned grocery because "small, family owned", but also because there's (sadly for them) less people.  However, when you are feeding a large Pyrenees who likes her dry food topped with canned cat food and a couple, okay all three, "complicated" cats, about once a month I brave the big box store.  

So, well stocked with hand sanitizer and my mask, I headed to town...and the parking lot looked like it was a holiday weekend.

My first thought was to just turn around and go home.  We're pretty good at scrounging the pantry for weird stuff that needs clearing out and, in fact, it's become my main house cleaning strategy this summer ;-).  However, Comby really needed his special food :-/.  Sigh...  Wait!  I could go to TSC (Tractor Supply Company).

As I walked in, for some reason (special sheep spotting super power :-) I looked in the sale bin at the front of the store.  I never look there.  But I did.  And I spotted two dog toys stuffed sheep tossed in the bottom bin!  I picked up one and immediately texted a friend who I knew would come rescue the other one.

From there my new little sheep friend and I "crossed the river" and went to the little grocery.  No four year old tin of black eyed peas for dinner that night ;-D. 

Look how happy he looks to be out in the fresh air and blue skies! :-)

...and then I started worrying about his friend back in the dog toy bin.  What happened if my friend couldn't get there in time and some terrible person who would buy a stuffed sheep for their dog to rip to shreds got to him first :-o.  Since I had to drive right back past the farm store on my way home anyway, I decided I should foster the other sheep.  Crisis averted ;-).

...and I pulled in their parking lot just behind my friend :-).  Before she went in to rescue her sheep, we stood outside talking for awhile.  She's not had a stellar year.  I haven't had a stellar year.  We commiserated on our not stellar years and counted our many blessings and I left feeling a little better and less alone and I hope she did as well.  

...and I thought of how if the box store hadn't have been too crowded, I'd have not gone to the farm store at Just The Right Time and then on to the little grocery and back to the farm store at Just At The Right Time and how two little stuffed sheep could help brighten up a couple of afternoons.  

Meet Chocula Chip :-)

Of course I had to pull out some Count Chocula roving I have stashed and spin a couple of ounces so he could learn about his namesake and a bit about his new home and what we do here.  He watched very carefully.

...and picked up spinning right away.

Then we washed his skein to set the twist.

That is a happy little sheep :-).

He even has the ear pillow down pat :-).

I'm Back, Baby!

...sort of.

My beloved old Windows 7 computer with all the old programs I love and know how to use...except a newer version of Microsoft Word that I've hated since the very day it was installed...crashed last week.  Being a glass half empty sort of person I assumed it was done for and was bracing myself for another "upgrade" that I'd really hate, and...

 

I say "I'm back...sort of" because it's taken forever to get this tiny post put together (and I haven't even tried to upload it yet).  I don't think it's a computer issue as it's been professionally repaired and tuned up, but more an AT&T internet (that I've also hated since pretty much the very day it was installed) issue.  I'm not even going to mention the new Blogger format.

I'm sounding so curmudgeonly that I almost decided to change the title of this post to "If It Ain't Broke Don't Fix It!", but I'm just so happy to have my old computer back that I'm going to focus on that part and keep "I'm Back, Baby!"

How about a couple of new puzzles! :-D

 

Honestly...

 

(graphic all over the internet the last couple of days)

...I feel a little (#7).  I don't really care that they used one of my pictures to what I'm hoping is promote wool...but if that's the case...I'm pretty sure number(#3) ain't even a sheep :-(.  

Sigh... I should probably just stop complaining about it (#8), go stick my head in a bucket (#4) of margaritas,  jump off a cliff (#9) or put myself down for a nap (#5).  Then maybe I'd feel a little more (#2).

Pfffffttttt (#1).

In case you don't remember, (#6) is Blossom ;-).  

If You Build It They Will Come...Or Not

 

After the milkweed took off like...a weed...this spring I had high hopes for a record number of monarch butterflies this summer.  I've only seen four so far and none of them stayed more than a couple minutes and I can't find any evidence of egg laying, much less caterpillars.  

I can only guess that maybe the cold spring caused problems?  Or maybe I should say I hope that is just the problem.  I'd hate to think the loss of habitat and too many pesticides have pushed them to the point where it might be too late to help them.

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Biggest swallowtail I’ve ever seen! Hopefully it’s a female and she’s getting ready to head to The B Garden to deposit a bunch of eggs 🤞. . #pollinatorgarden #butterflies #swallowtail

A post shared by Sara Dunham (@thecrazysheeplady) on Aug 2, 2020 at 12:45pm PDT

I have seen a few more swallowtail butterflies than normal this year, but interestingly they have all been in pretty rough shape.  Even this one has a tattered "tail".

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The B (birds, bees, butterflies and blooms) Garden just gets better and better. Only one or maybe two Monarchs, but several Swallowtails this year. Tons of bees from tiny to huge and even a hummingbird working the flowers. The sunflowers and buckwheat are a big hit with several different types of birds. The Goldfinches are moving in now. ❤️❤️❤️

A post shared by Sara Dunham (@thecrazysheeplady) on Aug 7, 2020 at 7:45am PDT

Here's a short video tour of the B Garden.  I have thoroughly enjoyed this messy place full of blooming and seeded out buckwheat, sunflowers, milkweed and all sorts of bright colors, shapes and sizes tucked here and there.  So have tons of wild bees, some smaller moths and butterflies, lots of birds and even a couple bunnies :-).