I have to admit I love sneaky cats, and Autumn equally. I just feel like I missed the summer of 2015. I was thrown from my horse the first week of May, and have spent much of the summer recuperating. I know I am lucky to be feeling as good as I am now, as the xray did not look promising. However I am unable to lift more than 20 pounds, which is not nearly enough for a farmer! I also never got a chance to train lambs to halter and show at Black Sheep Gathering or Flock and Fiber Festival. But the good news is, I had help, the lambs grew up, we have hay, wood, wool and fresh lamb. And the end to a very hot and dry summer is in sight. You can see it creeping down the mountains onto the dry pastures.
Our 19 year old Barn Cat Casey snuggles up next to the Hay Stack. The stack needs to grow a little larger to get all of Ruby Peak's critters through the winter ahead. But Casey and the other wilder barn cats will use the stack to snuggle in, and to find lots of fresh mouse meals. All the animals are growing their winter coats. Even the little lambs are now fluffy woollies. Here is Ruby Peak Petunia's babies, Pepper and Peony. They are barely recognizable unless you look at their spots!
So as I continue to heal my back I look forward to seeing friends and fiber producers at Flock an Fiber in a few weeks, as well as to picking breeding groups for next years lambing, selling off the extra lambs ( always the hardest part) and a winter by the window on my wheel. I hope you all have dreams of warm, white and wonderful winters to come.