Connections

The connections between different parts of the farm are fascinating and many.

Yesterday, Dave and I cleaned the hay mow of our barn. We raked out the spoiled hay and mixed it  with sheep manure in the barnyard. After it composts, the mixture will be wonderful fertilizer for our garden.

The wind blew hard out of the northwest and kept us cool. It also drove the insects into the deep grass for protection.

The ewes were in the home pasture, grazing the tall grass and they disturbed the insects. When the insects flew up, barn swallows swooped down to catch them.

The swallows fed the insects to their babies, tucked away in nests made of hay, manure mixed with mud, and feathers.

When we work in the barn, we enjoy hearing the barn swallow babies cheeping and the rush of their parents wings as they swoop through the barn going to and from their nests. Everything is connected and we are a part of those connections.