A Moose on the Loose- and I don't mean Mark

Photo by Alanna Jankov

It's been so long, which means that once again, I have lots to say! A lot has happened since my last post, although here at the farm, things are running at a pretty even keel while we wait for it to dry up a bit (along with every other farmer on PEI) so we can begin soybean harvest. It has been a good opportunity for Mark to spend some time getting things working A-1 before combining again and finishing up some of those little jobs that get put off.
We sent our last batch of chickens for this year and have just a few left in the freezer. It's been a really great year and we don't anticipate having too much difficulty selling what we have left. While they're not a huge hassle, it has been nice to not have to be out in the fields on these cold cold mornings filling water buckets and feeders. (Mark will probably snicker at that comment, as I very seldom found myself in that position this summer; it was mostly he and Wendell, but I can sympathize can't I!?) Looking forward to next year and having the first bundles of little yellow puff balls huddling under the heat lamps again.

Some big excitement around here has been the release of the annual Federation of Agriculture's "Faces of Farming" calendar which showcases farmers from the across the Island. The photographer was here in the spring while the lambs were still cute and took some pictures of Lucy and the sheep but we never heard anymore. So when the calendar came out we were delighted to see little Lucy Bernard on the front cover with this shot;Photo by Alanna Jankov

And then this was December's picture;Photo by Alanna Jankov

Although I love them all, obviously, my favorite of the ones they took is the one I put at the top of the post. I couldn't be prouder! Especially because it's not contrived at all, Lucy really is that comfortable around the sheep and loves being in with them that much, which is so great. Anyway, if you want a calendar and can't find one, or are "from away", let us know and we can make sure you get one.

In other news, Mark and I took some much-deserved time away from the farm and kids and went to a wedding of some fellow NSACers down in beautiful Sherbrook, NS. It was quite a drive, but my parents were kind enough to meet us in Aulac to take the kids which saved us a lot of time there, and then we were able to take our time, using some back roads to get us there. It was the most perfect weekend for it because despite of heavy rains on the way down, the drive back was sunny and perfect. The colours of the leaves were amazing and it's always nice to go somewhere you've never been before. The wedding was nice and it was good to have some laughs with old friends. On the way home we stopped at a favorite place of mine; the wentworth waterfall. I'm not sure the real name of the place, but it's obviously gaining recognition, since when we stopped in there was a steady stream of people, cameras in hand. Off one of the dirt lanes as you drive along the old Wentworth highway, up a little trail through the woods, is the most beautiful waterfall. It seems like too often, I just say, "Oh we don't have time today, we'll see it next time." But it's really worth taking the old way, when the water is running hard and fast like it was over the weekend.

Finally, after a great night away, we went to my home, West Branch, NB to see our kids and my family and have Thanksgiving dinner! West Branch always has some interesting story on the go and this time was no exception. There has been a moose taking up residence with Mom's sheep for a week or more now and I was glad that it was still around when I got home. You can easily spot it in the field along with Mom's llama and flock of sheep.

My brother was able to actually touch it and over the weekend, a couple of my nephews went down to see her and she let them get pretty close, as these pictures prove. If you can't tell by now, she's not exactly normal. Apparently she has some kind of brain disease, and she's not in very great body condition, but evidently she is still functioning in other ways because a bull moose has been around, sniffing and following pretty adamantly. My mom saw the two of them courting around the pasture until she noticed only one and found the female hiding up in the sheep feedlot area. Typical, my brother said. haha. Anyway, we'll see what happens with this story, as Mom says the sheep don't really mind her, and now she obviously knows her way around the place.

Well, that's enough excitement for now, from here. It's good to be back on red soil, even if the frost was the heaviest it's been last night, and the air has a very distinct, "goodbye autumn" feeling to it.

Hope all is well in your corner of the world!

-Sally
Moose photos by Daniel Shortall and Jake Wilson- thanks!