Just a quick update tonight on the snake saga.
Yesterday I did a lot of work out on the pasture: digging musk thistles (an official Noxious Weed in the state of Kansas), repairing fences, moving the portable electric fence, troubleshooting the electric topwires that carry the charge to various parts of the farm. Usually Toss is out there ranging around on the pasture with me, hunting mice and generally enjoying the wide open space as much as I do.
But yesterday, instead of running around, she was glued to the fence between the sheep pen and the garden. There is about a half block (23' x 50', plus lanes) of ground that is part of the Graduat Students' community garden, that they are not using. I've bordered it with the portable electric fence so that the sheep can mow it until the grad students are ready to plant it. A few days ago, I flash grazed them on it (12 hours, to grub things down pretty well without them picking up too much parasite load from the short grass). In the middle of the block, there was a tuft of higher grass left where a tree branch lay so that the sheep couldn't browse under it very well.
I finally opened the gate to this little paddock for her, just to try to figure out why she wanted in that pen so badly. I certainly couldn't see anything to attract her there....
She made a beeline for the tree branch, and I walked up to get a closer look. I guess I was expecting something like coyote scat.
Looking for all the world like a shadow under the tree branch, one of the black rat snakes lay draped across a desecrated wild rabbit nest. The snake's shape clearly indicated the ingestion of a number of baby wild rabbits.
Rabbits, of course, can a serious pest in the vegetable garden, but in fact I have rarely had detectible crop damage in recent years. I think I'm beginning to understand why, and to more fully appreciate the role of these handsome snakes in the Community of Life here at Pinwheel Farm.
I'm also appreciating anew the relationship that I have with my beloved old Toss, that let me pay attention to her interest and respond to satisfy it. And I appreciate her wisdom, patience, and cleverness in directing my attention to a matter of happy concern to me.
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Pinwheel Farm, where I'm "going around in circles," is a constant source of amusement, amazement, learning, inspiration, and WORK. This blog is to share all that with my family and friends, since I can't possibly find the time to correspond with each of you personally.
About the SheepLady
My grandmother lived to 103; I'm barely over half that....
The first third of my life was spent wandering, in every way possible. Drifting is easy, but not always fun. In hindsight, I see that I was gathering a lot of "thought compost", some of which is great fertilizer and some is just, well, you know....
Eventually I stopped and planted the seeds of a small farm. Way more fun AND work than that silly virtual farm game.
Now I cultivate many things, including sheep, vegetables, the ability to laugh at my mistakes, appreciation of my friends and family, and sheer joy in God's creation.
As part of the harvest, I'll stop and pick a tasty treat now and then, and share it with you on this blog....
"Pinwheel Farm" is on facebook, too, with frequent messages from various members of the Community of Life.
The first third of my life was spent wandering, in every way possible. Drifting is easy, but not always fun. In hindsight, I see that I was gathering a lot of "thought compost", some of which is great fertilizer and some is just, well, you know....
Eventually I stopped and planted the seeds of a small farm. Way more fun AND work than that silly virtual farm game.
Now I cultivate many things, including sheep, vegetables, the ability to laugh at my mistakes, appreciation of my friends and family, and sheer joy in God's creation.
As part of the harvest, I'll stop and pick a tasty treat now and then, and share it with you on this blog....
"Pinwheel Farm" is on facebook, too, with frequent messages from various members of the Community of Life.
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