Catching Melinda checking in on the new calf that was born two weeks ago. The wee bull is a male and is not normally named as they will be sold at market.
Melinda on the other hand is a keeper. Big Laugh, bigger heart.
Charley’s Lambs
Some of the ewes at the farm had twins and that means a few extra lambs that were not getting fed by their mothers. That’s where a team of workers stepped in with their giant bottles of milk and hand fed them until they were old enough to eat on their own. As you can see, Charley has taken to a few of them. Or is it the other way around? Either way, there is plenty of affection going around.
It’s the first time that I’ve seen lambs act like dogs.
Here are more images of sheep to get you through the weekend.
Joshua Thomas McMurdo
Josh recently surprised me with a week visit. You can safely bet that I was out of my mind with excitement. He and I share the passion of photography and we spent the week shooting all over southern Ohio and parts of Kentucky. Here he is ready to roll before one of our daily adventures. Yeah, I think I’ll claim him.
We Had a Ball
Last year was the first in a number of years, that I was not able to shoot the New Year’s Eve Grand Ball, held in South Charleston, OH. The ball raises money to preserve the local opera house as well as a number of other local landmarks. You can imagine how excited I became when I found that I could make it to the ball this year.
This is a stunning event. Live music, gorgeous dresses and uniforms, wonderful ball room, and more. For a photographer, the event is also a real challenge. The lighting is dim and the dancing means plenty of motion. Bring your fastest gear because you will need it. I struggle with the low light. Most of the night, I shot with an 85mm prime set around f1.7, ISO 1600 and speeds in the 1/30 – 1/80th of a second. Unfortunately, my camera body can’t create usable images at higher ISOs.
Want to see the rest of the pictures from the ball?
I thought you might, so I created a Flickr album. You can find it here.
Rain on the Farm
Friday afternoon, I spent some time relaxing at the farm. Carriage Hill is serene and tranquil on most days. A place to wander, explore, and visit with friends. One of the rare exceptions to the quiet on the farm is when the summer thunderstorms roll through, throwing lightning in all directions and booming in loud echoes.
Not long after arriving, I wandered down to check on the horses. That’s when drops began to fall and within moments, the sky opened up and the deluge began in earnest.
Soon, the rain was everywhere. Drops bounced off the fences and dripped from the roof lines. The water collected in pools and ran in rivulets through the barnyard.
Unfortunately for the horses, they were stuck in the downpour. There is an overhang on the back side of the barn and though they found some protection, their rear ends were soaked. Poor Jimmy and Charley had to endure the full force of the storm. because there was no room for them.
Thirty minutes passed before the thunder storm moved on and left the farm transformed by the wetness. I like the residue of the storm…wonderful light and dark wet wood and brick.
And while it’s nice to see the drops on the flowers, the sheep probably don’t appreciate being soaked with heavy wet wool.
That was the excitement on my Friday afternoon. How did I fare? Not badly at all. I found the shelter of the well’s pump shed and rode out the rain.
Have a great week, folks.
Huffman Prairie
In 1903, the Wright brothers successfully flew for a handful of seconds at Kitty Hawk. The next year, the brothers started experimenting and flying at Huffman Prairie, northeast of Dayton, OH in an effort to learn how to control their airplane and improve its design so that it would become a practical machine. Later, the prairie became the first permanent flying school, where the brothers charged $750 per student to teach them how to fly.
Even today, the prairie is impressive, though it no longer contains the cows that the wrights had to dodge.
Lilly and Myrtle
It’s been a while since we last checked in on Lilly and Myrtle, so I stopped at the farm on Friday and visited them for a few minutes. They are both doing fine.
Myrtle is growing quickly and is now taller than the grass in the pasture. Still, she has plenty of young kid in her. When given the chance, she bolts and runs huge circles through the tall grass, though never too far from Lilly.
Have a great day folks.
laying out in the sun
Today is one of those late spring days that are absolutely gorgeous. Sunny blue skies with big puffy white clouds. Sort of makes me want to go out and soak up the sunshine. I've not laid out in the sun for many years (read decades) and I am not planning for it today. However, there is yard work to do and I can fire up the grill and cook up something good. Both sound like great reasons to be outside.
Have a great day folks. I hope your world is just as sunny where you live.
warm breeze
Saturday felt like Summer and it is only mid spring. Ohio is like that. It is always hard to predict the weather in the spring. Could be chilly and wet. Could be hot and humid. Saturday was hot and breezy. Perfect weather for drying on the line.
Clothes lines are a source of nostalgia for me. My mother had a clothes line in the back yard when we lived outside of Boston as kids. The clothes pins were stored in a bag that hung permanently from one of the lines. I am tickled that they are making a comeback as people try to reduce their energy consumption. Sometimes going back to older and simpler ways is a good choice.
Have a great day folks.
Jim and Charlie and Charlie and Jimmy
Yesterday, Jim and Charlie hitched up Charlie and Jimmy to plant corn using the old 1930s era IH seeder. Farm tractors did not become common until after the Second World War and this would have been a common sight until the late 1940s. Trivia behind us, yesterday was a perfect day to be outside in the sunshine. The sky was full of big puffy clouds and there was a cool breeze. And of course, with Charlie around (the man, not the horse), there were plenty of jokes to keep us entertained.
The Charlies and Jims were planting butcher blood corn. I included a picture of the seed so that you can see how beautiful it is.
Every so often, Charlie and Noland would check the seed to ensure the old machine was working as it should. Old machines need constant watching and adjustment.
I know that you are wondering about the horses’ names. Legend has it (we only have the word of Jim and Charlie), they were visiting an Amish farmer while looking for a new pair of draft horses. When the farmer mentioned the horses were named Charlie and Jimmy, they bought them on the spot. I think it is just as likely that the two jokesters named the horses on the way home. You never know with those two.
Have a great day.
tim mcmurdo 