Monday, March 27, 2017

Bleak March in NW Wisconsin

  When is shearing day? Sign me up!

I'm assuming that these ewes are gong to be lambing sometime in April. I don't know when their shearing date is, and no sheep wants to be without its coat during a March snowstorm, but these sheep look pretty eager to get rid of their coats.  


Amish farm



On Sunday, on the way home from church, we drove on a few backroads (which is pretty much any road), so I could show you what bleak March looks like in Wisconsin. If I had a better photo-editing program, I might have been able to do something with these, but we've a string of gray days and colorless landscape, so this is what I've got.

 This is a familiar sight: a weight limit sign on the side roads.

Evergreens and red barns are the only bright
spots in the monochromatic landscape.

We live in a lovely area of wooded, rolling hills. It's beautiful. 
But you'll want to visit Wisconsin in May, not March. 
It's much prettier with sunshine and GREEN.

May 2015



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Judy

28 comments:

Sylvia said...

The sheep still look pretty in their coats. America the beautiful, there's beauty everywhere in all seasons. Love the barns.

Tanna said...

Wisconsin in on my bucket list to visit. You only add to that desire with your beautiful photos. blessings ~ tanna

Arlene G said...

I was just remarking to Marvin that by Easter, there will be no spring flowers. Everything will have come and gone. But I bet you will have a lovely Easter Sunday.

NanaDiana said...

It's the same here, Judy. It is SO very dreary again today. It is raining lightly and has been raining off and on for the last few days. I am ready to fly (warming my broom up as I type) with this weather.
Have a wonderful Monday. xo Diana

Cheryl said...

There is beauty in the gray days of winter, and yet, I find myself craving color as winter wears on. Green is a beautiful color, isn't it?!

The sheep definitely need an appointment with their stylist. :)

podso said...

You have captured "bleak" well and now I'm singing "In the bleak midwinter …" There is stark beauty even in March in Wisconsin, but I'm sure if you live with it, enough is enough. One thing is sure, spring always comes.

eileeninmd said...

Hello, love the cute sheep. The backroad shots and barn are pretty. We are having some dreary weather lately too. I need some vitamin d. Happy Monday, enjoy your day and new week ahead!

Susie said...

Judy, I think you have pin pointed it...bleak March for sure. I have seen some flowers around our area...not in my yard yet. I loved the barn with the stone wall. Sending you some warm hugs till you get some warmer weather. Blessings, xoxo, Susie

MadSnapper said...

every photo looks bleak until the last one. sunshine changes everything... the sheep are funny and look like they are losing their coats all by themselves

Brenda Pruitt said...

Just shows how much I know about farming. I had no idea sheep look so bedraggled when they need shearing! Never seen a photo like that before. As for photos, I use Picmonkey and love it.
Brenda

Anonymous said...

Those sheep do look ready for a sheer! I was snapping away from the road this past Saturday. It's always nice to see a red barn on a bleak landscape. Hope you have a lovely week.

Cathy said...

Those poor little sheep look like they really need to be sheared. Actually, right now that's kinda how I feel about my hair. Now that it's short, I really need a trim. Can't put it off as long as I used to when it was shoulder length.

Heide at ApronHistory said...

Spring is starting to creep in slowly here. We noticed there is teeny tiny little buds on the tree out front. No green leaflets yet, just little buds. The grass is looking a yellow green now too as it is slowly coming back.
Arlen's comment about Easter flowers made me laugh! We are so excited Easter is in April this year! We at lest have a chance of spring like weather and daffodils. If it is in March, we just sigh and don't even bother thinking about cute Easter outfits as we would have to wear so many layer is just spoils the effect. But this year we can go all out!
The daffodils are up and have plenty of buds on them, but have not bloomed yet. Which is fine with me, just looking at the green and anticipating the blooms is enough for now.

Dicky Bird said...

Please come and visit us - Wisconsin - in May. (smile). Bleak is right! Today too!

Ida said...

Remember me? - It's been awhile.

Yes March has been gray and dreary here too. - You do have some lovely roads to travel though and I enjoyed your photos. - Spring is so slow this year but let's enjoy it when it comes.

If you subscribe to my blog via e-mail for updates you may need to resign up as I recently switched e-mail addresses.

Christine said...

Hello Judy & thanks for sharing the beauty of March in
Wisconsin "au naturel "and real!
We have also seen some unravelling wool on sheep nearby ! Comical looking!

Terri D said...

I do indeed like the May photo best, but there is beauty in the bleakness of the others. I just don't envy you the cold gray days (Ohio had them too, when I was growing up).

The Joy of Home with Martha Ellen said...

Judy, even in the gray days you have photographed beauty. Hopefully the sun will shine away the gray.
The poor sheep do need their coats removed. Hopefully it will be warmer before the job is done. I read a piece in our paper where a farmer had his sheep sheared and one of the poor gals fainted during the process and didn't wake up. He said that happens sometimes with older sheep. I'd never heard of that.
I hope your week is off to a great start. xo ♥

Judith @ Lavender Cottage said...

Haha, there's those half naked sheep again - poor things must have low self esteem looking like that.
Your bleak landscape is much the same as ours although with the snow melt and rain there is some flooding in some of the fields.

Betsy said...

Virginia has had is share of bleak days and tomorrow will be another rainy one. I love the last photo, stonework is beautiful.

Michelle said...

That poor sheep!

Vee said...

March is definitely bleak. Here it is not only bleak, it is winter. Suppose that this means that April will be bleak.

I was surprised by the Amish barn. Pardon me for saying so, but I have never seen a more shabby looking appearance on an Amish barn. Usually, they are the best looking barns in the area and scrupulously tidy.

Hope that you get to see the ewes after their shearing when their coats are new and beautiful. They sure are ready for some grooming. Wonder if this farmer puts coats on his sheep after shearing...

Lady Fi said...

Lovely scenes - doesn't look too bleak. ;-)

Cranberry Morning said...

Vee had an interesting observation about the Amish farm pictured above. Although the Amish farms in the SW part of Wisconsin are beautiful like those in Ohio and Pennsylvania, they are the well-established farms that have been there a few generations and can afford to fix up their properties. Most of the farms in our neck of the woods, with a few exceptions, are relatively recent moves. It's true that it doesn't mean they have to be untidy, but it does mean that they don't have the extra money to fix up their property, which was bought at the peak of the housing bubble. Also, as the younger generation is getting established, they know that if they spruce up their place, they'll only be slapped with higher property taxes. Most of our property taxes go to support the public schools, which, of course, the Amish don't use. It's all about what they can and can't afford.

This N That said...

Tis shearing season for sure..These Ewes look like they have a head start..Lot's of Amish farms around here..Pa...Beautiful..

Carla from The River said...

Hi Judy,
;-) the back roads, I love it.
We like to take the back roads too. When we head to Menomonie we take the back road Cranberry Morning lives on. We always yell out, "Hi, Kevin and Judy"

Have a great week.

Anonymous said...

Oh, sheep. I love sheep! I love your Northern Wisconsin. Hugs.

Lynne said...

Red Barns . . .
Green . . .
Wisconsin hills . . .
My homeland . . .
I would like . . .

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