Keeping Watch | Foxfire Fiber & Designs

Hay is happening. Last week's string of sunny, breezy days kicked off a chain reaction. Every farm in Franklin county is making hay. You need at least 4 days to get it crackling dry. Norm mowed every field on the farm in two days and he and his family then spent the rest of the week tedding, raking and baling.

Haymaking means juggling the pastures a bit, keeping the flock out of the way. Perfect timing, really, as Holly and I would like to wean the lambs next week. We plan to use one of the mown fields for lamb grazing (once the grass has come back a bit) – ideal for raising lamb. No sheep have been on that ground this year (so it is parasite free), it's the best darn grass on the farm, it's surrounded by woven wire fence with a hot line at the top, and it's not too far from the barn in case we need to run them in for cover. Crackerjack will remain with the lambs once we've separated them from the mothers.

Crackerjack's presence and the security of the fences is especially critical right now. Lambs separated from moms are vulnerable. They wail and protest and call lots of attention to themselves. In the past two weeks our neighbors have lost a total of 5 lambs and 7 fowl to predation – coyote they think. Nothing left but bones and little tufts of wool. Nothing left of the hens but a few feathers (beak, feet, all gone). Whatever is striking is consuming all that it kills, so this seems different from our wolf attack in 2007 when we lost four rams in one night. I have not heard much coyote activity this season. In fact the surge in bunny population suggests the coyotes may be down in numbers. So maybe something else has developed a taste for chicken and lamb. And so, we're on our toes, testing fences everyday.

Haymaking stirs up everything. Deer love to bed their newborn fauns in the tall grass in the middle of the hayfield. Norm is super careful about not catching them with the mower (a frightened faun will remain motionless, poor things). Holly freed one faun from the electric fence paddock a few weeks ago, so it could join its mom over by my garden.

And last week, as I was sitting at my computer, I heard the oddest blatting sound coming from the pasture directly behind the house. We had just moved the 12 adult rams to that field but the sound was high pitched – more lamb than ram. I called Mike and we both hustled into the field to find this little faun frantically dashing around the pasture.

We suspect the doe gave birth in the fenced pasture, (since a doe could easily scale the 4.5 foot perimeter fence). She must have left her baby hidden in the grass while she went off foraging. And I bet the rams nearly scared the poor thing to death. I've never heard a faun cry before.

As I moved through the pasture to open the uphill gate, the rams turned their attention to me. I'm not sure if was the excitement of "visitors", or a territorial response maybe triggered by the cool morning, but the boys came storming across the field at me, heads lowered.

Holy Moly.

My first instinct was to run for the fence line. And them I remembered my doc's orders : NO RUNNING! And then I thought I should curl up in a ball on the ground. I screamed for Mike who made a bee line to intersect the boys before they could barrel into me. Spooked them enough to stop them in their tracks for a moment. And then naturally they wanted to pick a fight with Mike. Sometime rams thugs. You just can't turn your back on them.

MIke distracted them long enough for me to open the upper gate and help the faun make its exit.

A few minutes later we spied the doe, who had been watching everything from the cover of woods. We've seen this pair several times since then. I think we should adopt them as they have clearly made our farm their summer home. Any name suggestions??

On a separate note, I want to thank everyone for the cards, emails and expressions of concern and support. I'm feeling stronger each week and am just starting cardi rehab today. I still get tired easily but am told that's to be expected. It feels really good to be moving again. Will keep you posted. Thanks for sending positive healing thoughts my way.

Hoping you all had a happy holiday weekend.