Category: farm

Christmas Surprise!

On By stefrobrtsIn farm2 Comments

I couldn’t post about this earlier, because I didn’t want to risk spoiling the surprise. Scoops and Patrone are gone. They have moved just up the road to live with the boys who used them for 4H last year. The boys were so good with them, and enjoyed them so much their parents decided to surprise them by building an area for them at their house, and with the effort they put into that Martha and I were happy to give them Patrone and Scoops. It was an easy decision for me – I haven’t had the time to work with Patrone that I wanted to have, and I know the boys will, especially with them being at home instead of having to beg their mom to bring them to our house to work with the llamas. So I know they have not gone far, and I will be seeing them again soon. I was happy just to be part of such a wonderful surprise for the boys. I know what it would have meant to me if my parents had done something like that when I was a horse crazy kid.

For us this means I only have Houdini left, and he is back with the sheep and goats in the backyard, so we only have one paddock of animals to care for. I think that’s just enough work for now!

Just for Annaliese!

On By stefrobrtsIn farm2 Comments

I know Annaliese particularly enjoys the pictures of her little buddies, so here you go, enjoy!





And remember, these guys have a nice dry shelter, there’s no reason to be standing outside covered in snow and looking pitiful. Except for the fact that sheep apparently aren’t too bright 🙂 You’ll notice the goats stay under cover more so they are not frosted with snow, so I’m going to label them as slightly smarter!

Snowdays!

On By stefrobrtsIn alki, barclay, farm, pets, snow4 Comments

We got an early blast of winter weather. Snow at Christmas is just about unheard of around here! But lucky us, it started snowing a couple days ago. First day we got around fine in the Stealth, because it has front wheel drive. The van is useless in the snow, and it was a bit hairy getting it home the first day. It was snowing hard and I closed the shop early and slowly drove home in the van, and it hasn’t moved since.

The next day we headed out in the Stealth to go to work, and hit a slick spot and put it in the ditch! Luckily it was a shallow ditch, so the only damage was a few scratches from the bushes. Kyle came and pulled us out with his monster truck. Our hero! Once we got safely into town Dave bought cable chains for the car and then he was able to safely drive between town and home.

Yesterday (Saturday) Dave had a matinee play, so he dropped me and Barclay off at work in the morning, and I was there all day, watching the snow come down down down. Only a couple customers came by all day because of the snow, so it was just me and Barclay entertaining ourselves for hours on end! He didn’t make it back to pick me up until after 7, so it was heading for 8 when we got home.

Since Saturday was so bad we decided to close today (Sunday) and just stay home and enjoy the snow. And it snowed all evening and this is what we woke up to.


8 inches of snow with a nice icy crust on top! That’s a LOT of snow for the pacific NW. I can hear it occasionally falling off the trees with a crash!

Alki didn’t like it at all! She just wanted to get back inside! Barclay liked it so much he went way out in the pasture and just sat and watched and listened.

The sheep didn’t seem to mind. Some had snow on their backs, even though there’s a cozy covered stall for them to use. The chickens didn’t want to come out of the coop, so I fed them in there and moved their water nice and close. The llamas also do not seem to care about the weather, though they are staying under the shelter for the most part.

I don’t think there is anything quite as beautiful as fir trees weighted down with snow. Days like this make me feel so lucky to be able to live out here in the country!

Crazy time of year!

On By stefrobrtsIn barclay, farm, pets3 Comments
(neither of those is me 🙂 that’s members of the 501st who came to our grand opening)

Because we own a mail order toy store this is the busiest time of year for us. We don’t really enjoy the holidays, it’s not a month of time off work, gathering with friends and family, decorating the house. It’s a solid month or more of hard work, late nights, and coming home and dropping on the couch exhausted, right before getting back up and running out to the shop to pack more packages. And this year, with the retail part of the store, we have to be manning the physical location as well. 7 Days a week. With no days off. And for some reason Dave decided this would be a good time to do a play?

We close the store at 6pm, but sometimes customers wander in late, and I’m never one to send money away. Seemed like I couldn’t get them all out the other night, and I didn’t get to lock up until 6:30. By the time I got home it was fully dark and Dave was gone to rehearsal, and as Barclay and I walked up to the porch (Barclay goes to work with me sometimes), I noticed the motion sensor light was on. Because there was a llama on the porch. Patrone ran off into the yard and disappeared into the darkness. So Barclay and I went out there and I was annoyed to discover all the llamas in the front yard. Barclay was delighted, he was running around playing with them while Houdini tried to stomp him! All the while the sheep and goats were bleating their disapproval – they wanted to run around the front yard too!

I went and got a flashlight and gloves, because it was COLD, and found the llamas had pushed down the wire fence, and that was why they were in the yard. So I got my tools and fixed the fence by flashlight, then took some grain and put it in the paddock in their bowls, so they just about bowled me over getting to it. About this time I noticed Barclay was gone. But he soon showed up again, he had been out in the field. So we went back inside where it was light…

And he was filthy up to his knees, plus a big smudge on his forehead right between the eyes! Looks like he must have been out digging through fresh molehills! So into the tub he goes for a foot rinse. And I finally got onto making dinner about 8pm. And people wonder why I’m so tired!

Barclay’s herding lesson

On By stefrobrtsIn barclay, farm, pets6 Comments


Barclay had his 4th herding lesson today. This is at Brigand’s Hideaway in Brush Prairie. They have lots of sheep to use and a round pen. There are always lots of people there working sheep with their dogs.

He has been doing really well, but he still likes to grab at the sheep. Normally the teacher uses a regular fiberglass staff to guide him, but today she brought a rake. When she said she would ‘bring the rake next time’, I thought it would be some fancy tool, but no, it’s a rake 🙂

Here’s Barclay trying to grab a sheep from behind.

So she uses the rake to put a barrier between him and the sheep, and it’s wider than the staff so he notices it more, but he can still see through it.


Guiding him with the rake she had him doing smooth circles around the sheep. She also was able to reverse him and get him to circle the sheep in the other direction. She can spot every little good thing he does, and point it out. And she’s really gentle with him and gives him breaks, and doesn’t push him too hard or stress him out. I think we all have fun! Except maybe the sheep.

By the time we headed home he was tired and dirty, and slept all afternoon!

Does this easygoing training method work? Well this morning I was letting the sheep hang out in the front yard while I cleaned their stall, and I forgot to close the gate to the main pasture. I spotted it about the same time mom-sheep did, and we raced for the gate, but the herd beat me to it and blasted out into the main pasture! Oh no, how was I going to get the sheep and goats out of there by myself, with 2 acres for them to run around, and Dave already gone to work? Barclay raced out after them and they went around the corner of the paddock where I couldn’t see them. I was still wondering what I was going to do when suddenly here come the sheep – with Barclay behind them!! Zoom, back through the gate they go into the yard! I was so happy I hugged him and showered him with treats!! Normally he would have chased them all over the pasture with no rhyme or reason, but for some reason he turned them around and brought them back to me – maybe just dumb luck, but it was just what I needed!

The compost pile

On By stefrobrtsIn farm, garden3 Comments

It’s not glamorous, but it has to be done. Animals create poop, and it needs to go somewhere. Plus it’s actually a sort of ‘produce’ on our farm. After all, the animals produce it, and once composted it will be great for the garden. My first pile is made up of pallets wired together. I need to make a front wall for it that I can add boards to as the pile grows. The pipe down the center is to get air down into the pile so it will ‘cook’ faster.

The poor animals are stuck in their winter areas while the pasture recovers from a summer of grazing. Unfortunately the paddock has gotten very muddy, and with the poop and mud I worry about their feet. So I need to clean up the manure at least every couple days. That’s why I put the compost pile conveniently close to the paddock, right next to it in fact. There’s room for three piles if necessary, which I understand a lot of folks end up with. That way one pile cooks while you’re filing up the next one. Also I want to put down bark chips to give them something to stand on that won’t be so muddy.
If we can find the money to get started on the project the pasture could look very different soon. I want to fence off the swale and plant it with native plants and trees, and divide the rest of the pasture into small paddocks for rotational grazing. This should help us get more use of the pasture without wearing it out, and reduce weeds. All it takes is money, money, money, right?! I got my ideas from a 12 week class I just finished through the county extension. Today I had a lady come out from the conservation district and walk around the property and give me some tips about mud and pasture maintenance. Their main interest is water and keeping the water table clean. I think I’m doing a pretty good job of managing our land so far (dumb luck), and I’m eager to make more good changes.

Peaceful Sunday

On By stefrobrtsIn barclay, chickens, farm2 Comments
Sunday was a beautiful sunny day.

The sheep and goats ate their fill of hay then spent the rest of the day sunning themselves.

The llamas did the same, happy knowing there was more hay in the manger if they needed it.

The chickens were in their pen, safe from Barclay

And all the chickens were happily scratching away, including the hen who got her tail feathers pulled (she still has a tail, it’s just not as full as the other girls).

I hope your Sunday was just as nice!

Who’s that peeking in my window!

On By stefrobrtsIn farm4 Comments

Oh, it’s just Houdini! I came home this afternoon after spending the morning at the store, and let the llamas out of the corral to get a little exercise. I let them wander around the yard while I spread two bales of straw in the corral and shelter for them. Then I went inside to make lunch. Every now and then I would see a llama peeking in the windows, or one or two would go ‘sproing-ing’ by, having a great time with a little room to run for a bit.
Patrone and Scoops even found their way up onto the front porch, where Scoops helped himself to teh rose bushes. Luckily they are done for the season anyway! As you can see it was kind of a cold, wet and misty day. When it was heading for dusk I took them some grain and lured them back into the corral. But they had a nice afternoon out.