Fall on the farm

It's definately fall here on the farm! Justin turned off the irrigation last weekend, the PUD calls it off this Thursday. While frost has been calling a visit over night, we had a low in the teens the other night, yeah that was just a bit chilly to say the least.
The steers will go off to the butcher this week, the cow will go into the small pen for the winter and we'll move the horses over for easy keeping this winter. The goats will be going to the freezer and the goat project put on hold for a year or two.
The angoras have furred out nicely! It's time to start keeping them groomed, although Cheech made a Great Escape attempt the other day. They're look less like chop jobs and more like fluffy bunnies again.
We've been burning fires the last few days, the stove pulling it's duty well. Getting into the hallway is getting to be a grand adventure some nights! Between Daisy the hound with no undercoat, the cats who are willing to call a truce to sprawl and Seamus who fits himself into the mix on the cold nights, it's a jumble of bodies. One misstep causes a feline-canine chain reaction that while vastly entertaining, is not something you want to find yourself in the middle of. I have my place in the mix, right between the stove and wall.
I love Fall. It's a wonderful time of year, everything winds down to a close. It's a time of year to take stock, make notes, close the books and start gearing up for holiday baking. The earth seems to slip into it with ease each year. It's not a season to hit you upside the head without warning. The lighting is warm, even if the weather is cold. It's the time of year when coffee and hot chocolate taste the best. They aren't defenses against the cold as much as they are accompaniments.

Well there are the updates, for now at least. I have a good 6 loaves at least rising next to the stove so it's about time to get them into the oven. Then I think it's time for some popcorn, yum!