Not much of a Winter, and we're happy about that!

We bought a new bull in November 2019 - Apollo of JP Farms. He brings great blood lines and more variety of color.

He has settled in quite well and is very happy with his harem.

Winter arrived a bit early - in October - and we had several days & nights below freezing. We thought is would be a bad winter, but turned out to be mostly mild.

Danny got two deer and Jeremiah shot one this winter, all on our hills.

These two big white brutes are great at intimidating strangers, but are such home bodies that they are pets and therefore pretty useless as guardians of the sheep flock...

...and the flock did suffer in 2019 from coyote attacks. We have another large guard dog who is young and stays with the sheep, but she was outwitted and out numbered a few times. The only time we saw the predators was on the game camera. Yes, we put out snares, and bait, and even had a coyote hunter come, but no luck.

Lots of deer on the property. 

My kids spend a lot of time splitting firewood on our hills. This particular day a group of Church youth were doing community service by delivering firewood to a needy family.

But most of the time, it was just my kids. We were also watching a few grand children on this day.

Our Dexter cattle are pretty good browsers when the grass stops growing.

It did get cold off and on.

K9 and K7 helping some young men from Church deliver firewood to another family.

When the weather forecast calls for night temperatures going down to freezing or below, we feed some grain to the cattle to give them extra carbs to stay warm.

K9 is finding out early in life that if he wants spending money to buy his beloved Legos, he needs to work to earn that money. He gets paid by the number of gates he opens and closes for me when I am moving hay out to various pastures with the tractor.

K11 has become my main ranch hand, and is learning a lot. This day he was wrapping chain around logs we were dragging out for family and friends to cut up for their firewood needs.

K9 wanted to visit the largest cemetery in our town on the way to pre-school, so one day we packed a lunch and...

...had a picnic. Peanut butter and strawberry jam sandwiches with Pringle potato chips and chocolate milk.

I am serving as the Treasurer for the Missouri Dexter Breeder's Association for the next few years, which has added some more work to my weekly schedule. Here I was helping to man a booth at a livestock symposium in northern Missouri.

My sister Kathy sent me a unique birthday present this winter. Everyone should have a viking helmet. Yes, we fixed the horn. And yes, we know real viking helmets did not have horns, but who cares - it looks cool.

Yes, a lot of firewood gets cut and split on our place every year. Where does it go? A little bit for our house and our wood burning stove and lots goes to other families in our Church and community, but a lot goes to...

...my daughter K4 and her family next door (up on the hill). Her husband Ryan spends spare time dropping trees and cutting up logs for my kids to split. Their kids help load and unload the truck. This is only one storage area in their yard. They have a shed that holds almost 4 cords. These racks hold another 4 cords. They heat their home and water with an outdoor furnace. You can see some of my hay bales on far side of their fence line. 

Between selling all the lambs and loosing some to coyotes, the flock is smaller than usual, but pretty healthy. 

Our son K6 married Abbie in a wedding held on the farm in early November. Hence the blanket.

All of our children and most of our grand children were in attendance.

This pic is just our children.

Daughter K5 with husband Jeremiah and sons. 

The sun was out, but it got a little nippy.

But the reception was held indoors at the Church, and it was a blast. Abbies' family also had the play tables which kept younger ones entertained after eating delicious food and while waiting to cut the beautiful cake that K5 and Jeremiah baked and decorated. Lots of people, food, and fun.

Summer work and play

We received a phone call seeking help for an elderly one-legged farmer north of town bringing in his hay. It was hot, we  wanted to serve, so why not? K11 is the guy in green shirt on top of hay. I was driving a 2nd truck with K10 and the girl crew.

Our large guard dog Dinah with her sheep (kids picked her name Dinah, as in Wonder Woman). Will breed her this Christmas and keep 3 of her pups to keep her company and guard flock. We will need more LGD's as we increase size of our flock. Coyotes have been a major problem the past year.

K11 and K10 are replacing the big boys as my main helpers.

Cleaning up after our big 4th of July fireworks show.

After dropping the giant oak tree, it took us a few weeks to cut, split and haul away. K2 and K4 loading truck while K4's hubbie Ryan and our youngest K12 split.

K2 cutting, K11 and Ryan splitting. Notice the barn swallow just to the left of K2. I was on the upper deck looking down when it flew past.

Some days it was the little crew loading.

This is just a start on the amount that K4's family will need to heat their house this coming winter. We will be cutting, splitting and hauling many more loads of wood the next few months. All offers of help will be accepted!

The pond brings joy to many of us in different ways. Danny is the main fisherman, but he teaches little people.

In the Spring we bought more black crappie to add to the pond.

They were little, but...

...they do grow. This is K6 and Danny with a large mouthed bass, which make good eating, but they are the main predator in pond, eating many of the other fish and all the baby ducks! I have declared war on the bass and want them caught and eaten.

Had 10 calves so far with a few more due in August and September. Have sold 2 and need to sell more.

Finally decided to get Fluffy a haircut and so glad we did. Her shedding was causing us to sweep floors twice a day.

K12 pretty and pretty happy about her haircut.

Hollie had a tiny little red girl.

K9 is learning to be a ranch hand.

K7 worked as an EFY counselor all summer on college campuses in Arizona and Utah. One of his students did this pencil drawing of him and his female co-counselor. Wow!

K1 visited with her 3 children. It was a great week. Everyone was busy having fun. No shortage off playmates. The canoe was popular.

K12 and Lydia rode on the tractor and were my helpers with opening gates. We always stop to visit Grandma and Grandpa White in the family cemetery.

Twin fawns standing above top red fence bar, just up and left of center. We see deer frequently around the property.

Lots of great sunsets.