The snow started early this morning and it’s really coming down. I went out
walking cause the whole campus is so pretty, although the snow is a little deep once you get off a sidewalk or roadway. The temps are tolerable today but overnight the temps are supposed to plummet and the wind chill will get really brutal. They are saying that tomorrow’s wind chill will make it feel like 35-45 below zero. It’s gonna feel like we’re living in Alaska. I’m prepared though….I went to the office and bought an alpaca ski mask and gloves. I am on alpaca “close” all week and work tomorrow morning with the alpacas. I should be able to get everything but my eyes covered up so that should protect me from the bitter cold. This snow is a really wet snow, unlike what we got the other day that was super dry and fluffy. We already had about 5” on the ground and they are calling for 6-12” by the time it’s done. It was mid-way to my knees in the fields when I was out earlier. Just got a text from the garden manager that we need to go out periodically and brush the snow off the greenhouse and high tunnels so the weight of the snow doesn’t make them collapse. That will keep us busy till the storm is over.
I put the finishing touches on my scarf. I had to tie off the fringe and weave in the loose ends where you start and stop with different colors. Then you soak it in hot, soapy water….being sure to not agitate it because that will felt it. After it soaks for 10 minutes, you pull it out, change the water to clear, hot water and let it rinse in the water (still no agitation) for 10 minutes. If it still has soap in it, repeat the process again. After it’s been washed and rinsed, you blot it between towels and then lay it out flat to dry. I’d love to get a small rigid heddle loom and continue to weave. Will wait till we get back on the road and have some income coming in. In the meantime, I’ll use a loom here for the remainder of my time here.
Well, time to get ready for lunch and then go outside to work in the snow. Hope everyone has a great upcoming week. Stay warm and dry !
Although our schedules have changed to 9-3 (down from 8-4), now we have evening and weekend tasks to do that makes up for the reduction in our schedule. They feel that the new schedule will more reflect what it’s really like to work on a farm with daily duties and closing up the different areas. This week (Sunday – Saturday) I am responsible for closing the alpacas. That means that I have to go around to the five different alpaca pastures and check that they are ok on water and hay at the end of the day. It’s also watching the animals’ behavior to make sure that none are getting sick or have gotten injured. Mariah, the one who is 
sickest with the meningeal worm type conditions (we’re still not convinced that is what they have) has to be brought in from the pasture and put in a stall and given grain, hay and water. We’ve started giving Peanut milk supplement again because her weight had plateaued. We can now give the bottle to her standing up which is so much easier than trying to get the little wiggle worm onto our lap. We weighed her yesterday and she’s 19.4 pounds.
Yesterday was my first day of daytime alpaca duty and I worked with Tracy in barn 1. All of the alpacas are due for their deworming medication, which is done by injection. You run your hand down their front shoulder blade and there is a valley there. You pull up on the skin and make a tent and inject the medicine inside that tent. On one of the shots, I must have went in one side of the tent and out the other, right into my left index fingertip. I hadn’t injected any of the medicine yet so was just a poke but it drew blood and was drippy. I joked with Tracy that now I could have all the slugs I wanted to eat cause I was protected. (This shot is the one that is supposed to protect them from the meningeal worm disease that comes from slugs). That was wound #1 for the day. Later on while trying to get a piece of thorn bush off one of the alpacas, I got kicked in the knee and in the elbow. Dang, they are quick. I need to practice my wax on – wax off…Karate kid quickness cause you don’t even see their kick coming. Whap ! Thank goodness it doesn’t hurt…it just gets your attention. Now that I’ve experienced it, I’m all ready to trim their hooves. There’s a whole lot of kicking that can go on with that procedure. We have a bunch of them that need that done soon.
Veggies are growing great. Look at them go in the new high tunnel ! We planted more seeds in pots in the greenhouse yesterday. Swiss chard and kale…
Over the weekend the micro greens, peas and lettuce mix came up. It was really nice this weekend. Temps in the greenhouse were up to 90 cause it was so warm outside. Today it’s supposed to hit 57 and tomorrow it will be in the 60’s. We’ll enjoy in while we can cause Thursday it’s gonna snow and this weekend it won’t make it out of the 20’s. Freaky weather !
Here are the vegetable areas of the garden mulched with straw for the winter. This helps to keep the soil moist so it doesn’t get rock hard over the winter and will be easier to prep and plant in the spring.
This is one set of the new bee hives we got from the guy who works on campus. On the warm days, the bees can be seen outside the hive, probably doing their housekeeping chores…cleaning the inside of the hive.
Guess that brings you up to date. Getting ready to go in to start my shift for the day. Hope everyone has a Terrific Tuesday !
walking cause the whole campus is so pretty, although the snow is a little deep once you get off a sidewalk or roadway. The temps are tolerable today but overnight the temps are supposed to plummet and the wind chill will get really brutal. They are saying that tomorrow’s wind chill will make it feel like 35-45 below zero. It’s gonna feel like we’re living in Alaska. I’m prepared though….I went to the office and bought an alpaca ski mask and gloves. I am on alpaca “close” all week and work tomorrow morning with the alpacas. I should be able to get everything but my eyes covered up so that should protect me from the bitter cold. This snow is a really wet snow, unlike what we got the other day that was super dry and fluffy. We already had about 5” on the ground and they are calling for 6-12” by the time it’s done. It was mid-way to my knees in the fields when I was out earlier. Just got a text from the garden manager that we need to go out periodically and brush the snow off the greenhouse and high tunnels so the weight of the snow doesn’t make them collapse. That will keep us busy till the storm is over.
I put the finishing touches on my scarf. I had to tie off the fringe and weave in the loose ends where you start and stop with different colors. Then you soak it in hot, soapy water….being sure to not agitate it because that will felt it. After it soaks for 10 minutes, you pull it out, change the water to clear, hot water and let it rinse in the water (still no agitation) for 10 minutes. If it still has soap in it, repeat the process again. After it’s been washed and rinsed, you blot it between towels and then lay it out flat to dry. I’d love to get a small rigid heddle loom and continue to weave. Will wait till we get back on the road and have some income coming in. In the meantime, I’ll use a loom here for the remainder of my time here.
