A walk along the Potomac

May 2, 2026 -- The C&O Canal runs along the Potomac River. The towpath is a 184.5 mile dirt and stone trail that stretches from Georgetown to Cumberland. The Potomac River is one of the most scenic rivers in the eastern US.  Ty and I enjoy scenic walks along the Potomac River near various spots of the canal. Today, we went to Dam 4 (in Sharpsburg). The weather was perfect.

On the towpath

The Big Slackwater

Nature bouquet

Along the shore

A friend along the trail

Pink posies

C& O Canal Dam #4

c. 1832-1835

Spring flowers

Shoreline

Leaves

Ty at the top of the dam

Foot prints in the sand

Full bloom

Squirrel shenanigans 

There are seven dams along the C&O Canal.  Dam 4 is 800 feet long and 20 feet high.  It was built between 1832 and 1835 and created a 3.5-mile long section called Big Slackwater, where boats could navigate the Potomac River directly rather than in a separate canal channel. Confederate forces attempted to damage the dam on June 10, 1861. The dam operates today as a hydro-electric power producer.   

Devil's Backbone

April 23, 2026 -- Devil's Backbone is a county park in Boonsboro, in Washington County. It is named for a narrow, jagged ridge that rises between Antietam Creek and Beaver Creek. It isn't a very big park (only 9 acres), so didn't take long for Ty and I to explore. However, it has many noteworthy things to see, including a picturesque creek, foot bridge, stone bridge, dam and waterfall.  There is a short trail to hike. It overlooks the creek. Unfortunately, there weren't any good places for Ty to get into the water (although he did go in twice).

Devil's Backbone County Park, circa 1966

Ty in front of the dam, circa ~1820s

Waterfall

Footbridge

Devil's Backbone is a lesser known Civil War site. Booth's Mill Bridge was a strategic crossing point for both Union and Confederate troops. Following the Battle of Gettysburg, Union General George Meade established his headquarters at Devil's Backbone. The park is only a few miles from the primary battlefield area of Antietam, the bloodiest single day battle of the war.

Booth's Mill Bridge, circa ~1833

The bridge was rehabilitated ~1989

Antietam Creek, a tributary of the Potomac River

So pretty

The path

Algonquian: "Swift-flowing stream"

Built to power a large commercial flour mill

Sometimes

Sometimes I wish I didn't have a farm. Sometimes it can be hard. Sometimes it can be heartbreaking. Sometimes it can be frustrating. Sometimes I wish I didn't have a farm.

My goat Louise had quadruplets. One was smaller than the rest. I thought it was a doe. I thought it had a hernia. Instead it was a male. If I had bothered to check I would have seen that it didn't have a vulva. It didn't have a scrotum either, but you could feel the testicles in its body cavity. It had bad plumbing. The hernia wasn't a hernia, it was urine. The poor little guy's urinary tract was messed up. He was in pain. He was retaining urine. He had no future. He had to be euthanized. There's something especially heartbreaking about euthanizing a baby animal.

Never had a chance

I don't think I've ever had a ewe lay on one of her babies. It happened twice today. Both dead. One was a sick ewe with triplets. She was in a big pen (8x8) but still managed to suffocate one of her babies. She lays down a lot, seems to have some discomfort. She doesn't have much of an appetite, but is still chewing her cud. I'm treating her with antibiotics, an anti-inflammatory, and nutrition. Fingers crossed. Now she's only got twins to raise. That might be better. The dead lamb was a male. The whole litter is. It's hard to make money bottle feeding a male, if that's what I end up doing with her lambs (if she doesn't get better). Last year, she gave birth to a dead lamb (single). She was a yearling. Her time in the flock is probably limited. 

The other ewe that crushed her lamb, had a difficult birth and was also laying down a lot. Yesterday I pulled two lambs from her, plus a mummy. She laid on the bigger, more vigorous lamb (of course!).  She was in a 5x5 jug. I've tube fed the small lamb twice. Hopefully she'll raise it. A red ewe lamb. So was the dead one. I'm afraid she's going to lay on this one, too, but I can't be there all the time. Not sure why she couldn't deliver her lambs yesterday, but she was in distress all day and is still a little off. 

I kept a ewe from last year that had mastitis. In fact, part of her udder had sloughed off. So why did I keep her?  I'm asking myself now. Until last year, she was one of my best ewes, raising triplets each year.  A really good milker. Part dairy. I thought she might be able to raise one more lamb (on her good side) and I'd raise anything extra she had. But she's been sick for a week now. Still hasn't lambed. Big udder. No fever. Makes these strange sounds with her throat. I've been providing nutritional support: yogurt, molasses, and red wine. Don't know how this is going to turn out.

I kept a 10 year old ewe that used to be one of my best ewes. She raised two nice lambs last year. I raised her third one and kept it for replacement. I was glad when she only had a single. But I soon learned she didn't have much milk, even for one. I'm bottle feeding her ram lamb. I keep ewes I shouldn't. When ewes can't maintain their body condition, even with extra feed, it's time for them to go.  Another lamb I am bottle feeding is part of a litter of triplets. The dam has plenty of milk, but the lambs won't nurse from one side. The teat is bigger than normal. I've had to hand milk that side a few times. Too much milk. That's a new one!

Bottle feeding the 10 year old's lamb

Another ewe with triplet ewe lambs had one lamb with a broken leg. Don't know if it happened before or after birth. Since it would be too hard for the lamb to compete with two siblings I removed it for bottle feeding. It's in a pen by itself in the garage with the goats. I named her Tippy. I put a cast on her leg twice (paint rollers and vet wrap), but she's managed to get it off twice. Her leg seems fine now and she's doing well. 

Besides the aforementioned ewes, I've got ten ewes left to lamb:  yearlings and 2 year olds. Some don't seem to be bagging up or even look pregnant. Time will tell. I'm not sure I care anymore. I'm so exhausted, physically and mentally. I'm just ready for lambing season to be over. Maybe I'm getting too old to have so many sheep all on my own. Maybe I care too much about them. I try to do things right, but there are so many things I can't control and so many things that happen regardless. 

I started raising rabbits a few years ago. I started with good stock and invested good money in cages and other equipment. I went in thinking there was a good market for rabbits (for meat). There is not. I cannot find a consistent or decent market for the fryers. I'm able to sell some for breeders, but that is hit and miss. Plus, I hate having to use Facebook to sell rabbits. I'm planning to keep just a few rabbits (for now) to produce my own meat. The reds. I'm still trying to sell the whites. Bertha, one of my original rabbits, died unexpectedly last week. I found her dead in her cage. She looked peaceful. It was probably for the best. This way I don't have to sell her to someone else (or for meat).

Oh, and the basement sink is backed up.

2025: the year in review

 

January
Some cold, but not too much snow this month. We did have a spell of bitter cold. I lost a few kits, so I wheeled two does with their litters into the basement. The Redskins/Commanders enjoyed a dramatic playoff run. It was a fairy tale season with another sensational rookie QB (sound familiar?) that ended with a loss to the Eagles in the NFC championship game. I bought a Jayden Daniel's jersey. It was fun being a Redskin/Commander's fan again, but all that ended later in the year. Anyone want a Jayden Daniels jersey? We had dinner with David and Nancy Greene, and I had a few lunches with friends/colleagues this month. Trump became president on January 20. God save us! It was a sad day for the US and the rest of the civilized world. Will we survive?

February
Some snow this month. Five years had passed, so I had another colonoscopy. The prep wasn't so bad. Everything's fine, just some hemorrhoids and diverticuli (normal for my age). Another 5 years? The first lambs were born on February 18, a beautiful set of triplet ewe lambs. I ended up keeping the two red ones as replacements. The early lambing was the result of one of the NCSU rams vaulting several fences, a month before the intended breeding season. Speaking of the NSCU rams, we decided to part with them after one season of breeding. One was too small and the other sired too many ram lambs with horns.

March
The official lambing season started on March 10. The barn was cleaned about a week before. I had two sets of quads and many triplets. It was a busy month tending to the sheep and their new babies. Six lambs ended up in the orphan pen. Four were quads since neither of their dams were ones I would have picked to have four.  I kept another of the orphans as a replacement, a triplet out of one of my oldest ewes. I named her Eddie after her grandsire (Ms. Piggy is her grandmother). I celebrated my 63rd birthday this month. I guess I'm doing okay for my age. Mom is 95 now. Still plugging along. I did a card shower for her. She did one for me. Lara turned 43. 

April
Lambing continued into April with the yearlings and 2 year olds. Louise had another set of triplets: two bucks and a doe. I was present for the birthing. Unfortunately, Thelma did not breed. I think her offspring (who still tried to nurse) prevented the buck from servicing her last year. I eventually gave Ramen away to a new home. Some family members objected, but I didn't care. Ramen was a pain! The baby goats were so much fun to watch. I left one intact so I could use him for breeding. A longer than usual power outage caused some anxiety. I had to haul water. I submitted my taxes close to the deadline. I owed a ton.

May
My precious Oliver turned 5. His health is stable. He'll never be fat. Ty became a 4 year old. He's my perfect companion. I helped with the skillathon at the Maryland Sheep & Wool Festival, hoping that it was my last trip to the festival. A late set of triplets was born on the 11th. The ewe had only one side of milk so I began bottle feeding all over again. I left the lambs (I dubbed them Rock, Paper, and Scissors) on the ewe. Sadly, I had to cull the ewe, one of the older ones, after the babies were weaned. In total, I raised 91 lambs (out of 38 ewes). Only two had been born dead. I lost another when it was a couple of months old.

June
We saw a performance of Noah at the Sight and Sound Theater in Lancaster, PA. The depiction of the Ark and animals was amazing. Stretch got a clipping. Summer's are too hot for him. Alex and Isabella graduated from high school. Big checks for them. This month marked two precious years with Cash, who turned 2 in March. He is such a sweet boy. No regrets spending big bucks for the big fellow.  The Nationals had an 11 game losing streak. Their promising year began to tank. 

July
I spent a day at the York Fair (in PA). Robin and I bought Gabby's reserve champion meat birds. We gave them back so the family could enjoy them. It was fun watching Gabby and her family enjoy the 4-H experience. Brought back many memories. The Nationals finally fired their manager and GM. The rest of the season was painful.  Their two All Stars (Gore and Woods) faltered after the break. At least they didn't lose 100 games. Daylen Lyle was a bright spot (5th in the ROY voting).

August
I was invited by the Coalfield Sheep Association to speak at the dinner before their sale in Clintwood, Virginia. It was a reunion of sorts, as I was reunited with two of my VA Tech classmates. I bought a fall-born ram lamb at the sale (from Buckeye Acres). I named him Buckeye. Real original, huh? He's a pretty boy. I had been wanting to get a ram from Buckeye Acres. Ty accompanied me on the trip. After leaving the sale we went to the "Breaks" (Breaks Interstate Park). It is dubbed the "Grand Canyon of the South" and straddles both Virginia and Kentucky. The next day, Ty and I went to New River Gorge National Pike. Highlights were Sandstone Falls, Grandview, and the New River Gorge Bridge. I weren't disappointed. I sadly lost one of my favorite ewes, Ivanka (1711). I have her daughter (named Hollywood) to remind me of her. Ty and I went to Blackwater Falls and nearby Thomas, an old mining town. We saw several waterfalls.

September
Lara and I had our second epic adventure, this time to Iceland. We spent ten days touring the island. Fire and Ice. Lara planned the stops and did almost all the driving. I arranged the airfare, car, and lodging. It was a spectacular trip. The scenery was beautiful and diverse. Waterfalls, galore, not to mention hot springs, volcanos, glaciers, canyons, and beaches. Relaxing in a geothermal pool (lagoon) was a highlight. Lara enjoyed seal spotting. And who could forget the penis (Phallological) museum?  Even the food was good. So much lamb!  So many sheep. Horses, too. I didn't want to come home. I'm already planning my next trip:  Italy or the Highlands (Scotland) as of this writing. Newfoundland and California are still possibilities. I took Mom to the Jimmy Stewart Museum in Indiana, Pennsylvania. It was a wonderful museum of a "wonderful life," well worth the almost 3 hour drive.

October
October is my favorite month to hike (and travel). The first hike of the month (with Ty) was Ohiopyle State Park in the Laurel Highlands in southwestern PA. Ty and I went to Swallow Falls and Casselman River Bridge State Parks next. I lost my glasses somewhere along the way. I fell on my face in Casselman park. I took Ty to Michigan for five days. We went to the Upper Peninsula. The highlight was Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore. I took a boat cruise, while Ty waiting for me in a kennel. We drove along the lakeshore, making several stops, before ending up in Sault St. Marie. Our hotel in Mackinaw City was a block from the beach, along Lake Huron, with the bridge in clear view. Ty and I spent a day on Mackinaw Island. There were lots of firsts for Ty on this trip. He got to play in three Great Lakes. Robin and I spent her birthday at Great Falls, Maryland side, her first time there. The rams went in with the mature ewes on October 15. I took Falkirk to Mom's and put Buckeye with the mature ewes at home. The little billy went with Thelma and Louise after I got back from Michigan.

November
Buckeye went in with the young ewes on November 5. I put a clean-up ram with his girls. Ty and I hiked to Weverton Cliffs (near Harper's Ferry). For us, it was a challenging hike, 570 foot climb in elevation with many switchbacks. The views of the Potomac River were worth it. I had to reserve a week in November for Jury Duty. I was called once and released. The parties involved decided not to do anything that day.  I unexpectedly got my driveway paved. I was offered a good deal ($10,000) so I did it. On the way to taking Mom to a hair appointment, I was the victim of road rage. An aggressive driver side swiped my Escape. The repairs were approved under my uninsured motorist clause. Mostly cosmetic damage, but the estimate was $1858. I decided not to fix it; not worth the $250 deductible. I reported the incident to the police. I doubt they'll get the guy. Mom and I took a scenic drive that ended in Cumberland at the terminus of the C&O Canal, our first time there. Thanksgiving was at a friend of my sister's (Michele). The sheep (from Mom's) came home on the last day of the month. I swapped the rams around.

December
First snowfall of the season was December 2 (~4 inches).  Oliver had a good 6-month check-up. He gained almost a pound and his T4 was normal. The office Christmas Party was at Dale Johnson's new house.  Celebrated an early Christmas with Kevin, Briana, and Jack. Christmas with Michele's family (again). The barns were cleaned and the manure was spread a few days before the deadline. MDA was completely uncooperative. A week or so later, drainage was put in on the side of the hoop house. Let's hope it helps. The hoop house got so wet this year, inviting so many rats! The Redskins/Commanders are a bad team again. No playoff run this year. At least, we've got last year. I say the same thing about the Nationals. We've still got 2019! But it's getting old. The Nationals are changing everything so maybe there's some hope.  I'm far more committed to the Nationals (than the Commanders). I love baseball. If they name the new football stadium after Trump, I will forever be done with the team (and football).  Next year is the 250th year anniversary of the US. Terrible timing (not much to celebrate), as sadly we ended the year with the Tangerine Toddler still as POTUS. God help us. On the last day of the year, I discovered that someone had hit my fence without telling me. People are such assholes!  I need to get another cat.

Five Years

It's been more five years since I lost Max and Zak. Zak's last day was September 30, 2020. I was in the hospital (for gall bladder surgery) and unable to say goodbye to him. I will always regret this. Robin and Greg had to take him to the vet for euthanasia (I hate that word). My poor boy had stopped walking 7 weeks prior. I was carrying him out twice a day to do his business. I cooked lamb for his meals. He still had a good appetite. My guilt was eased a little bit by the fact that (before I went into the hospital) I had already made the decision (with the vet) that Zak's quality of life had gone and it was time. That terrible time. He was almost 16 years old.

My beautiful boys

Going at it

Cuddle buddies

Sniffing

Mornings on the bed

On the deck

Max's last day on this earth was the last day of 2019, December 31st. I don't think I ever cried as hard as the day I took him to the vet. He had been diagnosed with hypothyroidism. The medicine had stopped working. He was skin and bones. He got sick and stopped eating. I couldn't get him to eat anything. I would drain the tuna from the can and offer him the tuna juice. It used to be his favorite. He had stopped using the litter box and hygiene had become a problem. I couldn't spend as much time with him as I wanted to because I needed to be with my mom more. It was a heart wrenching decision, but it had to be made. Max was 17 when he took his last breath. I held him as they vet put him under. I am crying as I write this post. I miss both of them so much, to this day.  

Playing

Posing

Biting his nose

The chair

Both inside

I love the pets I have now:  Ty, Oliver, and Cash -- but I love the way Max and Ty were together and with me. Of course, as they got older, they interacted less with each other. They both lived very long lives, though their last years were difficult due to their advanced ages. I hope Max and Zak are romping around in heaven together like they did in this life. One day I'll see them again on the other side of the rainbow bridge. Until then, I love, miss them, and think about them often. Max and Zak.