News from the Barnyard
Autumn
Yes, I finally have to concede that fall weather has really arrived. The first
killing frost has made its appearance. Leaves on the trees are turning early this year due
to a drought, the colors are beautiful but short-lived. Some leaves are only hanging on
for a few days of color and some trees have already lost their leaves. Bushes are vibrant
reds and yellows. Apples have fallen to the ground and make a tasty morning snack for the
deer. The air has a fresh crispness that just makes you want to take in big gulping
breaths, just to feel the coolness. So, I guess it is time to admit that summer is gone.
Jasmine Detours Killer
Summer’s departure has really been going on for a month now anyway. By Labor Day, the
orioles and wrens had vacated their nests. The rams have been butting their heads and
fighting for the affections of the ewes for several weeks now, meaning our new lambs will
arrive about 5 months from now. Unfortunately, coyotes made a killing visit to one field
while one of the donkeys was recovering from a foot injury. We were fortunate really in
that they only got 2 sheep as they are often known to kill and mutilate whole flocks of
sheep. This means we probably only had one or two coyotes "visit". The donkeys
usually make very good guards for the sheep as they hate dogs and coyotes and will chase
them out of the fields, protecting the sheep. Instead of staying in the field with the
sheep, Jasmine chose to hang out in the barn one night to nurse her injured foot. Those
coyotes are smart enough that they knew exactly when to take advantage of the sheep’s
vulnerability. We only had the incident the one night, as Jasmine has been on active duty
ever since.
Birds Are Flying The Coop
Flocks of migrating geese can be seen flying over the fields, while a flock of waxwings
makes a daily trip to the crabapple and/or mountain ash trees for fruits to eat. The
chickadees, tufted titmice, and goldfinches have been hanging around the feeders, even
bringing their young for a meal, so I am now obligated to keep the feeders full of seed.
This week the birdfeeders have seen the arrival of the nuthatches, cardinals, sparrows,
and of course blue jays.
Drought
We are starting to see the effects of this past year’s drought. The waterfalls at
Letchworth State Park are the lowest we’ve ever seen them in our 20 years here, and
there is no river flow at the Mt. Morris dam. We walked the St. Helena trail down to the
Genesee River at Letchworth last week, and you can literally walk across the river right
now over very shallow water. There are no whitewater or tidal pools to worry about. This
is the only time we have been able to see the bottom of the riverbed and actually walk
across it. Since the opportunity presented itself, we walked the river and discovered very
interesting rock formations along the riverbed. What made this so interesting is that this
is an area of the river where you typically can not stand up as the force of the water is
so strong.
New
We have added a new free UniqueFarm
Coloring Book
for kids has been added to the website, so those of you with children, check it
out
We have also added some new items and reduced the price on Beanie
Babies.
The Legend of the UniJack
The UniJack was born so they say,
On a sunny afternoon in the month of May.
If luck lets you find him while at play,
You will hear him singing his favorite bray.From the union of the mythical unicorn,
And a donkey by the name of Jack,
A baby donkey with a horn was born,
And so they named him UniJack. |
