I looked through my photos from my recent trip to England. This is one you might like. I stayed with a family in the Lake District. Home of Beatrix Potter. Do watch “Ms Potter” If you get a chance. Anyway on one of the days I was there the daughter, Hazel suggested a walk up in the hills. I miss walking for pleasure. In England it is quite common to walk to the Shop or just to get out.
Earth 
Wind 
Fire 
The wind photo is a stretch because the white caps out on the ocean did not show as well through the camera. Earth because I have uncovered the rich soil in my pasture. Wind that came up and kept me inside for all day yesterday. Fire as I have burned several very large brush piles and the soles of my feet. Most people would stay out of the ashes but I was trying to get everything to burn….
Water should be part of it too because I am going to have a well deserved shower. No photo of that, sorry.
Dale said she was a Warrior Princess.
Brandy was from a very dark grey mother and a champion father. I think that was why she was so high strung. To get cancer at only 8 years old was terrible. I had taken her for her check up a few weeks earlier and to get a Rabies shot. Was it the shot? Or was she sick for a while? She had been off her food. Beneful. Although I cook chicken and rice for the dogs I also give them just a little kibbles. Could it have been that? Or in her family. We have long since lost touch with the parent’s owners.
All I can do is remember her.
She could run so fast she almost did not touch the ground 
She would sit on Brook 
When we bred her to Dusty she cried and yelped through the whole process. But she had some of the best looking Weimaraners ever seen
But some of those pups and Brandy herself had some bad luck in their future. One of the girls had a broken back, Pinky we (foolishly) kept her alive for a year.
Kaiser was killed in a car accident
And we almost lost Brandy when she developed a uterine infection. They spayed her and removed her spleen. They gave her a slight chance she would recover. But she did and lived for another few years until the cancer got her.
I have lots of photos of the girls here is one of my favorites
But in late October I’ll take it!
Two fields are almost done. My friend Dale loaned me a pull behind disk attachment for my Tractor. I have not had so much fun in ages! It churns up the top few inches. Then I throw seed. Winter oats, peas and vetch. Then Bil went back over with the chain link fence. In a few months this 
should be tall grass!
And here is Michael who helped out too 
Can you believe this weather? We have had the nicest two days and I think more is to come. Sunny clear and no wind. What a treat after the rain last week. The farmer’s tan? I am really going to look funny naked!
7 50 lb bags of seed. I am very tired. Bil helped but it was me doing the walking! Tama and Michael too were a great help. I am a little recovered after food and a shower. Just need to feed the little ones and I really hope Steed does not bark tonight. We think there is a Mountain Lion around. He has been seen twice very close. Always something……
They say make hay while the sun shines. This is true although making hay is not what is going on this week. I have burn piles to burn and seed to plant. Winter wheat, cow peas and Vetch. I have to throw the seed and then disk it in with the piece of cyclone fence behind. My gut feeling is the chickens will eat it all. So I have to shut them in. A bigger hen house is the next thing on the list of very important things to do while the sun is shining. I hope to post every night but if I fall silent you will know exhaustion has got the better of me.
Some of the things I have been thinking about and will write about soon:
Brandy drifts into my thoughts as I work. We had her put down as she had cancer.
Max is the new pup and is cute but not so cute when he peed on the floor and the rug today.
My passion about sheep
My Dad
My kids
And even though I am getting old my shadow is looking pretty good!
well it had only just started raining and look at all that water!
this is the 12″ and we have compromised and got an 18″ hopefully will be installed on Sunday. My husband figured out that an 18″ was over double the size of a 12″. Now I find that hard to get my brain around but math was not my best subject.
On the baby feeding front the bucket just plain did not work. I put in 8 cups of milk. Carefully put the lid on and let them suck. They got the idea but nothing is coming out. Don’t know what I am doing wrong meantime we are back with the bottles again!
The weather looks as if we may have a dry week…….
We are preparing for the Brookings Christmas Bazaar held in the Brookings High School every year. I am now at the 11th hour frantically making stuff to sell. I was wondering where this “bazaar” word came from and looked it up. You can find out about anything on the internet! Here is what I found: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bazaar look at the three photos, do you think the Brookings Christmas Bazaar will look like this? No. Close? No. Watch for the post in November and we will see!
Here is so far my pitiful collection. 
For those of you interested, babies are doing fine; in fact they about knock me over when I go into the barn with the bottles.
Culverts that were put in before the heavy rain will have to be dug up again as we have 24 inches of rain trying to go down a 12″ hole. Sigh. It was hilarious to see me and one of the guys at Del Cur trying to get the 12″ in my trailer. Another math problem…how to get a 20′ long 12″ tube in a 16′ horse trailer. Wish I had had my camera with me.
The animals don’t like this rain as they cram together under the shelter. Looks like a bit of a break today….
I was recently in England. My parents needed me to visit and I wanted to visit the lady, Mary Bell who sold me the Herdwick semen. The English Sunday paper would take you a week to read it! Massive. I read about River Cottage and heard it mentioned a few times. What is it? Well it is a way of life, a place,a TV Show and a web site. www.rivercottage.net
They talk about thinking about food and where it comes from and how good it is or how good is it?. They say River Cottage is a way of life. I really like the sound of it. If you have time read some of the pages and perhaps start to get to River Cottage too.
We have our own eggs from chickens that run free, they eat grass and bugs and turn that into the best eggs you can imagine. Still a bit squeamish about it but I must learn to kill and pluck a chicken. I only have a few turkeys this year and I am thinking about geese for next year. I am determined to have a producing garden next year. This year we had a bumper crop of Berries and the Tomatoes are still good.
I got 12 50pound bags of seed delivered today. I should go out and scatter them as a big storm is coming. I also picked up culverts today only to be told when I got home they were not big enough!
Babies are doing great and I am getting a bit more sleep.