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Even though this farm is our dream come true, there is always work to be done, chores that
can't be ignored, even on those cold, winter mornings. Here are some photos in case you need convincing
The Sun Room
Our big farm project last fall (2008) was building a sun room where we could start garden plants early. It was finally finished
a few weeks ago and is becoming the most popular place on the farm. I am going to have to figure out how to fit seedlings
in between the critters in March.
We have moved one of the outside cat feeding stations into the sun room and built a cat door into the outside wall. The cats
LOVE this new feeding place as there is no wind and it is warmer than outside.
During the super cold at the beginning of January I used the sun room to bring in the rex rabbit who normally lives in the
barn. Rex rabbits don't have the extra guard hair in their coats and I was afraid he might have an extra hard time with the
extreme cold. He is an old bunny...about 8 years old...and the extra protection the sun room gives him is great for his old
bones. The bunny is in the floor cage that all the cats are looking at.
Two of our chickens got frost bitten toes during the cold spell so we brought them in too. They seem to really enjoy being
'almost' house chickens. Their toes are doing great but the chickens are still hanging out in the sun room.
The cats in this photo are: In the chair is Odd. On top of the crate is Pinky...because of his pink nose. On top of the cage
is Penelope. On top of the cage with leg hanging over the edge is Phyllis. The blue cream sitting on the floor looking in
at the rabbit is Mazzie and next to her (to her left) looking in the crate is Crash. There is also a cat in the crate, that's
Melvin. The black cat walking towards the chickens is Mary. And to the far left is Muffin, with the black long hair. Mazzie,
Muffin, Penelope and Crash are all available for adoption.
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Here's my husband Frank getting the spring crops planted in the garden
Frank has been very busy since my retirement :-)
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In the summertime when the weather is high .....
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Our "global warming friendly" lawn mowers
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Some more of our "lawn boys"
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Most people fence the yard in so their dogs will have a safe place to play and exercise. Our yard
is fenced so all the farm critters can take turns ramping and playing....and in some cases eating.
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Spring means haying and there is nothing more comforting than a full hay mow and empty hay wagons. As we get older it gets
harder and harder to do the routine farm duties. Maybe it is these farm duties that help us keep going.
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The "lawn boys" work hard enough in the summer so we usually give them off for the
winter
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Sheep Shearing
Most sheep must be sheared yearly in order for them to stay healthy and comfortable. This requires special equipment, strength
on the part of the sheep shearer and knowledge. The clippers used to accomplish this task are very sharp and can easily cause
harm if used incorrectly. Sheep shearing is not a job for an ameteur. Sheep make wonderful pets and are easier to fence in
than goats however yearly shearing is a requirement and should be considered before choosing sheep as pets.
Our sheep shearer is Isaac Stickley and we highly recommend him. He was kind and gentle with our pet sheep and spent extra
time with them to prevent them from becoming frightened.
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Tree Trimming
After two years of calling local tree companies about removing or trimming a dying maple next to the house we finally found
Timber Sky Tree Service in Warren Center, PA. Joel Vrabel of Timber Sky Tree Service arrived promptly, scheduled a time to
do the work and then arrived at the prearranged time and did a professional job. Joel's professiionalism was a welcome contrast
to the other well known tree services in the area who said they would come out and then never showed up or called to cancel.
All of the trimming was either over the house or right next to it and not one branch hit the house. They cleaned up as they
said they would and were on their way to their next job in about an hour. We highly recommend Timber Sky Tree Service. Joel
started his career education at Broome Tioga BOCES in Binghamton, NY in the Conservation Class and then gained more skills
and a desire to own his own business working for another tree service for a few years. Great job Joel.
Timber Sky Tree Service 570-395-0226
My husband Frank and I are constantly trying to make improvements to the facilities in order to make life a bit more comfortable
for our "family.
We've even starting to go solar. Since Gemini Farm is WAY out in the country we often have power failures. Most are just
a minor inconvienience however once in a while they are rather long lasting. The farm often has in excess of 75 animals in
residence and the thought that we might not be able to provide fresh water to them is frightening. We have the pond to haul
water from but it would be very difficult to continually haul water for all the animals. The solution was to install a solar
energy system and we were lucky to find A Y Solar from Vestal, NY. For now, the barn is the only building hooked up to solar
however we hope to quickly add the well pump and the furnace. This will give us peace of mind in knowing that we have an emergency
energy source to help us care for our animals no matter what happens.
We highly recommend A Y Solar. If you are thinking about adding solar for your energy needs call.....
Andy Young
Vestal, NY
607-760-8176
ayoung@ay-solar.us
or visit Andy's web site: www.ay-solar.us
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"A man is ethical only when life, as such, is sacred to him, that of plants and animals as well as that of his fellowman,
and when he devotes himself helpfully to all life that is in need of help." Dr. Albert Sweitzer
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