Since January is about to fly by and it’s -10 degrees outside, I figured it was a good time to review what has happened in the last six months of 2018. Well, it was a challenging time for us! Our shearer decided to pursue her dream of becoming a pilot, so she left for Utah. Kristen is doing very well and we are happy for her. That one was just a blip in what was to come. Unfortunately, due to all the rain, our second hay harvest was a disaster. In addition, the one week we could possibly cut hay, our farmer friend was out-of-town. We tried to cut the hay with our sickle mower; however, the grass was way too long and the ground was still too wet. Despite several turns with our wheel rake, the hay remained to wet and the bales never dried. Of course, we now have compost! Then our bees who swarmed so many times this past season decided to abscond. Sigh…..Now we are on a list to get two nucs in the spring. We are hoping the bees will do better since they are raised in our area. Fingers crossed!
After we reflected on what happened this year, we decided to view the experiences as lessons rather than just stay angry. So, we bought a new to us haybine so we can cut our own hay. Hopefully, it arrives before our first cutting this year. Despite many tries, transport has been a challenge; the weather has not cooperated, either.
Our new intention is to cut, turn and bale our own hay on our own terms!
On a positive note, lots of fleece got washed over the summer and some went to the Gurdy Run Fiber Mill in Halifax, PA. If you are looking for a great fiber mill, we highly recommend Gurdy Run. Hopefully, in the near future we will have our website up and running and fiber available for sale.
Hopefully, 2019 will be a better year for us!
(Leo, Poppy & Winnie)
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