From our walk today

I played with this photo on the computer, it really looks exactly like the day, the sun shone, but it was very, very chilly. Soon after the photo, it started snowing again. It's so pretty around here right now.

Christmas Card

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you all, around here it looks just like a Christmas card, so I thought I would send it to you. The trees may be bare and the sky a little cloudy, but the sunbeams still break through and the snow has been beautiful this year!

One of Susies photos

Beautiful photo by Susie, just to convince you to go take a peek.

Kind Comments

Here are some nice comments from a guest and a link to some amazing photos she took during her stay. Thanks Susie, we hope you come again soon. http://web.me.com/sseifert7/sleepersprings/Sleeper_Springs_Diary/Sleeper_Springs_Diary.html

This time of Year

Short days and Long shadows this time of year at small graces,

I was just reminded that I have not posted photos of the new deck, it is on the side of the cabin and it looks just right. Simple, and natural.

Have a seat

Back View

Front Porch view

Take it easy, have a chair and watch the leaves come off the trees, Here is the front porch, and next I will show you the view from the front porch and the back view.

look how gorgeous

Farm friend

One of our three calves, isn't he cute! Furry for winter, uh-oh.

Read a page in the guestbook!

Hi Jennifer and Dean,David, Alexi and I stayed at Small Graces over Labor Day Weekend and had a wonderful time. We did not have the opportunity to sign your guest book (with 15 month old Alexi keeping us on our toes!), so we just wanted to send you a short email expressing how much we enjoyed our stay. We have stayed at other B&Bs in the area, though what made this experience unique was having an entire cottage to ourselves and a homecooked breakfast carried to our cottage each morning. And speaking of breakfast...they were absolutely delicious! We are vegetarian, and we were well fed each morning with meals prepared with homegrown ingredients that were so scrumptuous...our mouths still water when we think about breakfast at Small Graces. We loved the tour of the farm and seeing all of the animals. Your B&B is the ideal location, close to the Ithaca Farmer's Market, Ithaca College and Cornell University, as well as Lake Cayuga. We had such a wonderful trip and your B&B was one of the biggest factors.Happy Autumn!

Neighbors

Goosey Looosey

This is one of your closest neighbors, whenever you come to visit. There are a few cows, too, but they stay to themselves pretty well. This little goose only hangs out in the early morning, then she takes a walk around the property. There is a little duck, named puddle, who hangs out most of the day in this part of the stream.

Call now!

The phone has been ringing here for reservations! Don't miss out on the dates we have left this year! We would really miss having you.

Sheepish

Here we are at the local 4h fair. This is Badger the Shetland ewe, about to go in the ring. Even thought she looks like a doll, and is really very miniature as far as sheep go, she WAS not being cute at the moment, and had just pushed me into the door you see behind me in the photo.
So, you see my sweet little girl giggling at her momma, and me thinking that we needed one less sheep on our farm!!! (Just kidding, Badger is already cozy back in her pasture.)

Shetland sheep are listed as a Conservation breed. We have 4 conservation, or rare sheep breeds on our farm. We raise two of those breeds, Jacob and Hog Island.

Breakfast is beautiful

Ithaca Farmers Market

Poppies from the Ithaca Farmer's Market, at the Dewitt Park, on Tuesday. The Saturday market is at Steamboat Landing on Cayuga Lake inlet, and is much bigger. Tuesday we were treated to Thai for lunch with Carob cake from Macro Mommas for dessert. All the while--- live music, people chit-chat, children running, climbing trees. We went home with more potted herbs for the garden. I paid top dollar for the herbs, but they are also the best I have seen.

last daffodil and Joy

I do want to share the photo of this amazing woman, Joy. I cannot explain the feeling we all get, when we round the corner on our way home from somewhere, and all of her flowers come in sight. We watch for them blooming every spring and when they start we all tell each other, as if the people in the same car can't see it!! What a generous effort, and how worth it. It lifts everyone, and we all "own that same feeling", whether we have planted anything in our lives.

more daffodil

What a fitting name for someone who has shared so much with the neighborhood.

Daffodil Dayz 2009

This is the beautiful contribution, to the world, of our neighbor, Joy Zamoiski. Can't believe we almost missed it. The num

ber of bulbs is incredible, they planted 100,000. last year, not counting any that had been planted before. I will post more views.

How fresh is that?

The eggs this morning are beautiful and fresh from the coop.

Our hens scatter around the property all day and then are tucked in at night, to stay safe from predators. Dean designed the coop to be easy to move, so they don't wear out any area with their scratching. Right now they are situated at the top of the sheep hill and I think their view is more pretty than the one from our house. We have 15 little lambs hopping around in the winter pen, just waiting for more warm weather to get the grass really growing. That is what is happening here on the farm, the cottage has many openings for reservations so give us all call, if you like your breakfast fresh.

Spring of 2009, first Lamb

Come for a visit this springtime and you
will be greeted by the sound of tiny sheep calling their momas!
The baby can hardly decide if she wants to hug the
lamb, or if he might lick her and she needs to get away!
It's only the first of many lambs for the season.
Dora is this little guys moma, and she ALWAYS is the
first to lamb. She does it without assistace and so
nonchalante, it is her true calling! Her son this year,
(he is a ram lamb) is called cookies and cream. I wanted
to name him "hearts bottom", he has a perfect heart on
on one of his, "cheeks".

Nothing but blue skies...

On a sunny spring day last week, we

took a walk, and there was so much blue

everywhere! This is one of the views from

the cottage. The farm next to us, the hill

is simply lovely.

wind turbines on RT 17

This was taken on the way to our farm from western NY, on rt. 17, soon to be rt.86. or already is in some parts?? It's confusing, anyway, they are really awesome looking from the highway and I couldn't help snapping as many shots as I could, from the moving car! I thought guests on the way here, from the same direction might want a little heads up.