Working on Lambs and Garden ...

Looking Towards the Garden ...

We've gotten the ewes with older lambs out and into the field where we have the garden.  They've just passed through this field and have moved on to the pasture by the Loafing Shed. Even with the electric net fence around the fledgling garden, I'm still nervous! Somehow it seems that one of those goofy lambs will manage to get into the garden!  There are a dozen tomato plants, the sunflowers & summer squash are just starting to sprout, and we've planted popcorn this year … never tried that before, so we'll see how it goes.

Wild Rose Farm Rambouillet #555 & Twins 

We had a nice delivery of twins out on pasture and we left them out long enough for the ewe to clean them off outside. Here's another ewe with her set of twins in the barn.

Wild Rose Farm Rambouillet #553 & Twins

Oh, and did we mention the barn project? The hemlock board siding got a coat of boiled linseed oil and mineral spirits for preservation … what a chore, but it's done!

Resealing the Barn!

While I Was Away .....

Site Prep Earlier In May

There has been a lot of business travel lately for your Wild Rose Farm scribe ....... Last week, while I was enjoying what turned out to be cooler weather in Houston (!) than in Western PA, our new building quickly took shape.  We have been posting pictures of the clearing, firewood, & cherrywood boards since last fall, so here's a look at the site prep & the pole building.

Poles Set & Framing Underway

Setting the poles & doing the framing only took a couple of days.  Then the trusses were delivered & set up the next day. 

Trusses Set & Braced

I'll be traveling again next week, but it will only take a day to put the finishing touches on the roof & this part of the job will be done.  We need to decide how to do some trim work & louvers ..... they're both functional & decorative.  I'll be looking for some inspiration in barn books this weekend.

Roofing With Drip Edge & Overhang

Barn Renovation

Local Barn Renovation

This barn is several miles away from Wild Rose Farm on a country road.  We passed it on the way to buy pumpkins.  Wow!  I don't know about you, but to me it's really sad to see old barns that aren't being used & are falling down.   There were beef cattle around this barn in years past, but now there seems to be some horses in the pasture.  Did the farm change hands?  We're not sure, but it's really great to see this renovation work with a new blue metal roof and fresh siding.   Who wouldn't love to have the nice outbuildings too? 
Meanwhile, back at the ranch ............ 12 year old Rambouillet #802 leads the ewes & ewe lambs to the feeders!