Signs of spring

Tomatoes are started and already peaking through the black dirt, Crocuses are finally displaying some color in the garden and the sun is getting warmer every day!

It feels and looks like spring is on its way.

Dipsy, the first and so far only lamb is growing as fast as all the spring bulbs. She is a fine lamb that likes to touch noses with the dogs, much to moms disapproval! Hopefully soon she will be joined by many more little sheep still comfortably growing in big bellies.

This spring we decided against baby chicks and went to pick up ten young hens at a friends organic farm. These chickens are a mixed bunch that just started laying eggs and will hopefully be sitting and hatching some baby chicks.

But, live in the hen house can be cruel. A pecking order will be established at any cost. In our case that meant one new hens got pecked to badly she ended up in the stew pot and since it is not worth heating up the kettle for one chicken, Tony, the mean rooster got chosen to keep her company!

Since there would be no baby chicks without a rooster, we do have a new little guy waking the farm in the morning. And not only is he little with a dainty voice, but he is friendly as well!

Farmchores

Sunday should be the day to rest, at least I'd like to think so.

For some reason at our farm it seldom is. On a beautiful day like today it is nearly impossible to stay inside and once you leave the house there is no chance to walk by the wheelbarrow. In the back of my mind I just know how much work lies ahead once spring is here, so it is nice to get a bit ahead. The biggest mistake I make is to look around and focus in on all that needs to be done, and then the curtain closes - I am majorly overwhelmed. This has the same effect on me than a week of fasting. Extreme crabbyness, which results in my kids making a wide circle around me instead of helping and a husband that will just plainly stay out of sight. This does not help me feel any better. So I have learned to take a deep breath and take little steps, one at a time (allright, I do try to sprint once in a while, but the shortness of breath keeps me at bay)

So as of today the chickencoop is only two wheelbarrows short of being clean and the ram pen looks presentable as well.

I will not start a list of what all still needs to be done. But if you are thinking of loosing a few pounds, please come to the farm and help me with my chores. The longer you stay the better shape you will be in and the happier you will make me and my family!

Let's call it the farm boot camp!

A spring day in February

What a beautiful day! Blue skies, sunshine and 43 *F.

Of course I had to sieze the break in winter weather and head outside. As soon as I set foot out the front door I could hear them. Little pleading voices, they are everywere. They all ask for the same: Take care of me, no me, I really need it more... It is impossible to ignore them, they surround me, remind me, force me to pick up rake, shovel and wheelbarrow. Since I am in the yard, I start right here and there. Every spring this is the hub of pineneedles, bones of all kinds of nature (for details please refer to the the dogs), shredded balls and much more.

After a few loads I needed a break from raking, so why not bring the chickens their daily leftovers. The chicken coop does not whisper, no it screams in my ear: Look at me and do something about it!

See, we have two Indian runner ducks, which decided to overwinter with the chickens. BIG no-no! Ducks love water and they will be spreading it very liberaly. These two runners did just that and now the coop is not just sawdust, straw and mostly dry chicken manure, now it is a watering hole filled with sawdust, straw and everything but dry chicken and duck manure.

Of course I picked up the shovel right away and started filling up the wheelbarrow. It was not until after I had packed it all the way to the top, that I paused for a moment and recalled how heavy this mud hole material was. To make matters worse, the manure pile is about 80 feet of steady uphill from the coop. So up I pushed, slowley, very slowley. The worst thing that can happen with a wheelbarrow overflowing with nastyness is having is tip over. So remember: slow and steady wins the race. I did manage to clean out two good loads. Now taking care of a few loads from one of the sheep paddocks was a cinch.

All that was left to do for today was filling up the water troughs. No big deal, since there are no frozen hoses at 43*F.

All in all a very productive day for me, since I did all this with the assistence of my two, four and two year old, little girls.

A messy day

After a rainy night and a warm breeze blowing this morning, I decided a few hours this Sunday would be best spent outdoors.
This is the worst time of the year. Water, water everywere and since the ground is still frozen the wet brownish soupy mess has nowere to go. So it collects itself in ugly puddles or finds its way down the driveway past the front porch ( they never show that picture on pretty farm postcards). Beware, highly slippery when wet! Our pain is our neighbours entertainment. I am sure they get plenty of laughs peering our way.....
I do have to say our farm, at least parts of it are not the most inviting place once the big melting starts and probably will not make it onto the front page of any country lifestyle magazine!
So, what did I do today?
Well, I started by shoveling piles of shit (excuse my language, but that is what it looks like, smells like and subsequently IS). After that it was time to scrape some pathways for the once clear and now rather brownish essence of life.
Where does it go? The only way it can -which is, of course- down the driveway, by the front porch, the garden to finally puddle itself into a little unsightly pond
at the bottom of the hill. At least it is out of sight and smelling range. By the time I have things to do down there it will be well intergrated into the grounds!
All that is left to do now, is to fill the shelters with fresh, good smelling, golden straw!
Mimi, my only Babydoll sheep loves it, all the others prefer to hang out in, you guessed right, the not so perfect,soupy part of the sheep run!
Do not worry, this will not last for long, the sheep can go out on still snow covered, clean pasture if they wish to. Do they wish to? Let's not go there!
If you where thinking about purchasing some fleeces for handspinning or felting, do not crinkle your nose. The sheep will not lay down in the mucky areas, and they will be shorn in the spring before they start growing the wonderful clean fall fleeces I offer!
Now I will indulge myself with a hot soak in the tub and try not to think to much of all the snow and ice that is still to melt!