Silver Linings

My husband, children and most people who know me will tell you I always seem to find the good in a situation. Currently the area I live in is in a drought, no rain for months. I can not let me sheep graze in the pasture, instead the sheep are kept off the pasture and fed hay along with some grain. Feeding hay and grain all spring and summer is a big added expense to my sheep farm business. The limited amount of green on the place is from the overflowing of water troughs and a few areas I run the sprinkler at night. I overflow the water troughs to freshen the water and cool the water temperature down for a little while.

Although I do not have any grass growing, I do not have any weeds growing either. I use regenerative farming practices in the care of my pasture and garden. Instead of using a herbicide to spray the weeds, I mow the weeds before they bloom to create seeds. This year I have only mowed the pasture once. A savings of fuel cost and time.

The positive side is my sheep have proved to me they can survive and thrive in the heat and with little feed, as the breed was developed to with stand the harsh grazing conditions of South Africa.

Laundry and dishes are washed at night, the appliances add too much heat to the house during the day. Cooking is done outside on a Bar BQ grill. Although recently, I have wondered if we really need to light the grill to cook the meat with the temperatures over 100 degrees Fahrenheit.

I have more birds around my house, since their water source of the nearby ponds have dried up. All living things need water. The chickadees, finches and cardinals seem to love playing in the sprinkler when it is going.

Completing tasks outside take much longer, as I need to come into the house for water and too cool off. There have been a few times I have heat stressed a little this summer. The water going in comes out just as fast when I step outside to work. Currently as I am writing this blog the outside temperature is 105 degrees Fahrenheit but feels like 109. There are probably very few toxins in my body with all the sweating I do during the day, creating a healthier body without the expense of a sauna.

I have worked in this type of heat and drought conditions in 2011 when we purchased our property. I was building fences in 108 degree temperature and the neighbor was worried I was going to die from heat stroke.

Although it is very hot today, autumn will be here soon, the temperatures will cool as winter approaches. Then everyone will complain how cold it is.

amtolle