Warmest Before The Dawn

In the summer I wake up with the sun (around 6:00 a.m.) and start my day.  I let the dogs out, feed them and Bad Betsy, fix myself a big cup of coffee and walk up to the barn to do an early morning check.  

My main concern is B. Willard.  He likes to dig himself a comfy bed, but if he isn't careful how he lays down in it, he can get stuck with his feet higher than his overly round body and then not able to get up on his own which can be dangerous.  I hate to find him that way and on occasion he's given me a bad scare.

If I wasn't worried about him, I'd probably keep my 'get up with the sun' schedule during the fall and winter and sleep later in the morning like most animals.  However, that leaves him unwatched for a couple extra hours each day as the sunrise is so much later right now and I don't think it's worth the risk.  Plus, I love watching the sun rise

During the fall I sat on the Wool House porch with the dogs, and now frequently Possum, and check on my social media sheep friends while I finish my coffee.  If it's too rainy or windy and cold, we sit inside.  If it's not windy, I can tolerate some pretty cold temperatures and those cold, still mornings are some of my favorites.

This morning the moon was still pretty bright even though it's almost a week past full.  I did a flashlight check to make sure Willard was right side up and then stayed outside talking to Salt, giving Possum a snack, visiting with the horses, listening to the neighbor's rooster crowing and watching the stars disappear and the sky brighten.  There was no wind, so even though the thermometer said it was cold, I wasn't. 

This is the first year I've had to do these early morning checks and by doing so, I've learned a few fun things.  One, I love to be outside at dawn. Being able to watch everything on the farm wake up is a peaceful treat.  Another, you might think the coldest part of the day is right before the sun rises.  It's not.

The first couple of times I got too cold outside I thought I was imagining that it had gotten instantly extra cold.  Then I thought maybe it was just that I'd stayed out too long.  I'd be warm as toast for an hour or so and then suddenly freezing cold.  It didn't happen every day though and I noticed it was only happening on clear mornings with a bright sunrise...

Sure enough, if you google "Why does it get colder after the sun comes up?" you'll find the answer.  

Did you know it got colder just after dawn?

A New Puzzle...Finally

 

Good morning!  How about a new puzzle :-).

Good Morning!

We've had some beautifully cool weather the last few days.  Makes for a pretty, foggy sunrise.  This is a fun puzzle :-).

What On Earth?!?

Is anyone else seeing a bright light in the sky this morning?  

The first three pictures were actually taken a week or so ago and I just found them on my camera.  I love the light on Hank and how it glides across the front field as the sun rises over Stella's hill.  The iPhone Memories video below is from this morning.  

I love mornings.  I don't really think of them as "Oh boy, a new day!"  I just enjoy the quiet beauty of the moment.  The sun rising, the sheep venturing out, the birds waking up...  I suppose I could find beauty if I lived in a city, too (there truly is beauty everywhere), but I am so grateful to live where I do.  

It never gets old.

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A beautiful morning. Enjoy 😊.

A post shared by Sara Dunham (@thecrazysheeplady) on Sep 19, 2018 at 5:55am PDT

And here's a new puzzle :-).  Enjoy!

The Count Is On

According to my great grandfather...and the Farmer's Almanac, every fog in August forecasts a day of snow this winter.  We've had two foggy mornings in August so far.  Keep up the good work, fog!

And a new puzzle.  Enjoy!

Walking Up To Let The Chickens Out

I usually just take my iPhone with me when I walk up to the barn at dawn to let the chickens out.  It died though just after I snapped my "letting the dogs out view from the porch" picture and the sunrise was looking spectacular so I grabbed the big camera.

When you hear "up with the chickens", that's the truth.  The chickens go to bed before it gets dark and are complaining mightily if I get out there after the sun has crested Stella's hill.  I could have set the camera exposure so the pictures appeared "brighter", but I decided I wanted to record what it actually looked like.  

This is my morning walk.  It's not always this colorful and foggy, but it's always beautiful.  The first group of sheep like to get up with the chickens as well and I usually can just hear them (Andy's bell), not see them.  Want to walk with me?

"Y'all stay here.  I'll be back in a minute."

You can just barely see Hank (look at the top fence plank).  Everyone stood at the gate and waited.

This is pretty close to the right amount of light.

This is too light.  It makes a difference if you are metering off a white sheep or a black one.  Your camera wants to take the best picture possible so if you aren't watching, it will brighten things up for you.  The easiest thing to do before coffee is adjust your exposure compensation.  

Hank's made it all the way out and is headed back to the sheep.

Double checking something.  The sheep are all still waiting for his "all clear".

The not quite as early riser group.  Again, a little too bright.

"All clear."  And a little bit too dark.

This exposure is just right.

Part of the Nistock contingency.  Not the earliest of risers haha ;-).

But when you do get up early, it's always a good trade.  That's a bit of an inside joke...although, since she put it on her blog I guess it's actually more outside :-). 

Good morning!

That Andy

That Andy...  In case you don't remember back to when and why Andy came to our farm, he was "the rogue lamb" at Final Frontier Farm.  He wouldn't stay with the other weaned lambs and Kathy was constantly having to pull him out of the ram field, the young ewes field, the older ewes field...  I was there for one break out and I didn't see how he did it either.

I figured that would stop when he got here because we have four plank fence.  Pretty hard to slip through that.  He did.  I figured it would stop when he got bigger and, um, fluffier.  It didn't.  He's been here almost two years now and it would be hard to get much bigger or fluffier.  I haven't seen him out by himself in awhile.  Turns out that was only because I hadn't locked him out of anywhere in awhile.

I've locked the sheep out of the front field for a bit this fall to give it a rest.  I leave a gap in the gate by the barn so Hank can come and go.  It's just big enough for Hank.  Even tiny Tavia can't get through there.  The fences are all in good repair since the painters were here last month.  There is nowhere for Fat That Andy to get out.

Dingalingalingalingalingalinga...  The helpful bell.

Oh for crying out loud!  Why are the sheep out in the front field?  Did I leave a gate open last night?   

Nope. 

Just one sheep.

I knew it was Andy, but zoomed in just to...oh, I don't know why.  I knew it was "the rogue lamb".

Do you see Hank having to pull double duty watching both fields?  You'll have to click to biggify. Sigh...

It sure was a beautiful sunrise this morning though.  And I don't really care that Andy is out there.  I'd just like to know how he does it.

There's a new puzzle :-).  

Enjoy!

Gold Morning!

Yep, it's a puzzle, too :-).  Enjoy!

Some Sunday Sunrise Sheep Shots

Note the Ts running across the top of the field.

Annabelly coming up to say "Happy Birthday!"

Three old timers.  Too many birthdays!

Baaxter and Chocula getting ready to have less birthdays.  All that nice grass and you are eating grass covered in fence paint over spray?!?

Pretty Petunia.

All the fences and barns have been freshly painted.  The over spray makes this look like I photoshopped the  paint on there.

I'm not sure what is going on in this pictures.  Obviously Woolliam doesn't have a clue either or else he's just decided to sleep through whatever those two girls are having words about.  Baby Belly and Annabelly.

Three new puzzles up. 

Enjoy!

Good Morning!

These pictures were all taken at the same time.  Well, not at the exact same time, but within a minute or two ;-).  I love how the light changes color.  The horses were shot with the sun just off to the left of center/in front of me.  I turned to the right about one quarter turn to take the pictures of Hank.

And then back again.  The horses had also moved a little further to the left, towards the sun.

Two new puzzles :-).

Enjoy!

Another Great American Barnyard Camp Out Is In The Books

You know all those cute pictures of Biscuit sleeping on his various beds from porch to barn?  They've been among my favorites for sure.  That is until I tried to sleep on a cot in the barn with Biscuit on his first night out.  Let me reword that.  Until I tried to sleep on a cot with Biscuit in the barn on his first night out.  

To make matters even more, um, crowded, Betsy slept with us as well.  On the cot.  It's a small cot. The only thing that kept Muffin (that seems to be sticking, but we are still working on her mom's name) from joining us is her wonky legs.  She thought the camp out was the Most Fun Ever.

"We have our own lantern?"  "And blankets?"  "These blankets taste great!" "How'd you get up there, Biscuit?"  "That cat sure has a floofy tail!" "You're really going to sleep out here with us?"  "All night?"  "Did you bring us treats?" "This is so fun!"

Biscuit did not think this was the Most Fun Ever.  He missed his safe, comfy dog crate, private hay and grain stash, very own water bowl...and peace and quiet.  He was up and down all night and was actually pretty miserable until he finally settled in around 4 a.m., chewed some cud and fell sound asleep.

Betsy stayed out with us all night.  I'm not sure if she was there for Biscuit or me.  Regardless is was pretty sweet...until she jumped up on the divider and knocked down the (noisy) metal bowl full of sheep treats.  Poor Biscuit...

"How about for the next barn yard camp out we do it without the sheep."

This would have been a welcomed sunrise even if it hadn't been really pretty.

Do you see the cloud lamb jumping into the sky?  The two tiny white ears and fuzzy topknot look like Biscuit.  Hopefully he'll have sweeter dreams tonight.  I'm going to make him a night time pen within the pen so he won't have to worry about his food and water and hopefully there will be enough room for a small bag of wool scraps to sleep on as well...because he ain't sleeping on my cot ;-).