The Sound Of The Broom Brings Them

 Hubbs has been out of town all week (he returned late last night.). When he is gone, I tend to busy myself with all manner of projects.  I am terribly productive when left to my own devices.   Yesterday, while at the barn for afternoon chores, I decided to give it a good sweeping.  I don't know what it is about hay, but it seems to find a way into every crack and crevice.  And, by the time winter is over, the barn is blanketed in a fair amount of hay.  As soon as I get out the broom, two of our friends come running.

First, Moll cat comes and requests a broom back rub.  She loves when I rub the bristles down her back as if I were brushing her with a stiff brush.  The, I hear the familiar sound of a stall door being jerked to its limits.  This is always the sound of Moonie trying to find a way to the hay.  Luckily, the stall lock is strong and he has never been successful in his attempt at freedom.  Still, he stood there staring me down (with his one eye) until I swept up the hay room floor and swept the stray hay into that stall for him to munch.

"Who has who trained?" I ask you.  

Oh, believe me... they all have my number.  I am the most well-trained of all the souls on the farm.

Yesterday morning and early afternoon were rainy, so I stayed in the house and had a few more adventures in baking.  The sourdough English muffins that I mixed up yesterday were finished fermenting, so I baked a batch.  (Thanks, Lisa, for directing me to King Arthur's recipe!)   I had tried other recipes previously, but these are superior.

As for the biscotti that I had made the previous day, the recipe for that came from King Arthur Flour as well.  I have found that all of their recipes are excellent.  And this biscotti recipe is my go-to recipe.  The recipe is no longer available on their website, but I found it on another blog HERE, in case you are interested.

I also started dough for my usual seeded multigrain sourdough bread - and will bake two loaves of that this morning.  In addition to that, I am trying another recipe for a crusty artisan boule - a white/wheat combination.  Hopefully this turns out... as it is a bit of an experiment.  Yes, I have done a lot of baking this week.  Much of it will go into the freezer for future use - otherwise I would not be able to fit in the gator to care for the animals!  

Speaking of which... these are the only bottoms that were fluffy yesterday.  Everyone else looked too wretched for photos!  Seriously, rain and mud have done a number on all but chickens and cats.

As I moved about the dry lot (not dry in the least!)  picking up manure, the cats followed me around-

having the good sense to stick to the fence and avoid the mud beneath.

(Just in case you wondered how our barn kitties stay clean!)

Lastly, here is an update on the current knitting project.... they are not sewn together, I just laid them out to give you an idea of how farm I have come.  And so very far, yet, to go!