Animals
- Washed Clean
There is something wonderful in a morning that follows a night of showers. The air and the land are clean and fresh...all hints of pollen, dust, and grime temporarily gone. It's a fresh slate....and it's just waiting to be doodled upon. That's...
- Today's The Day!
It's here...it's finally here!The day we have been waiting for has finally arrived!The lambs and their Mama arrive at 10:30 AM today!And by 6:00 AM, I should have received a phone call from the local Post Officethat my 40+ chicks have arrived...
- Bits And Pieces For Friday
This week was the perfect week to whittle down that long list of Spring chores.The flower beds around the house are mulched.The blueberry patch is mulched. The pumpkin patch has landscaping fabric down as a weed barrier. Check, check, check. Chores...
- Houdini Goats
Yesterday was a marathon work day.I went to the barn at 6:30 AM and, except for breakfast and lunch,spent the entire day outside....9 hours! Our weather is still chilly...45 degrees,but compared to what it has been for so long, it feels balmy.The scattered...
- Helpers
In yesterday's comments "Kris" asked if I have helpers.Absolutely.... I have helpers with every task that I set out to do! Some help more than others! But seriously, before you get the wrong impression,I have to tell you.... I couldn't take...
Animals
Spring Chores
Yesterday was super-spectacular.
Afternoon temperatures reached 70 and I dug in to my spring chore list.
In addition to the usual barn chores,
I raked 6 tractor loads of composted manure into the pumpkin patch.
Then I ran the root-tiller through the soil to loosen everything up and mix in the manure.
When you dig a new garden, as we did last year (pumpkin patch)...
it takes a couple years of yearly roto-tilling to get the soil soft enough.
When the tilling was finished I placed the landscaping fabric over the garden and began
the task of pounding in the large staples that hold it in place.
The chickens had a blast gobbling up the worms that the tiller un-earthed.
Annie patiently waited for me to throw her ball...
while Sam caught a nap on the warm landscaping fabric.
One of the photos that I took of the chickens was remarkable in that it
clearly shows how chickens have a clear inner eyelid.
You can see how this rooster's eyelid closes over the eye
from the inner portion of the eye to the outer.
My next big task was staining the pirate ship.
I used an entire can and will need another can to finish the deck of the ship as well as the mast.
Next on the list was spray-painting the metal gates.
Over the years, these get a bit rusty...
so a fresh coat of paint helps to keep everything looking spiffy!
Amazingly, Moonbeam did not end up with a blue stripe across his nose.
You may wonder why I pushed myself so hard to get all of this done in one day.
It's because we are to have rain for the rest of the week
Inside chores will replace the spring chore list until things dry up once again.
- Washed Clean
There is something wonderful in a morning that follows a night of showers. The air and the land are clean and fresh...all hints of pollen, dust, and grime temporarily gone. It's a fresh slate....and it's just waiting to be doodled upon. That's...
- Today's The Day!
It's here...it's finally here!The day we have been waiting for has finally arrived!The lambs and their Mama arrive at 10:30 AM today!And by 6:00 AM, I should have received a phone call from the local Post Officethat my 40+ chicks have arrived...
- Bits And Pieces For Friday
This week was the perfect week to whittle down that long list of Spring chores.The flower beds around the house are mulched.The blueberry patch is mulched. The pumpkin patch has landscaping fabric down as a weed barrier. Check, check, check. Chores...
- Houdini Goats
Yesterday was a marathon work day.I went to the barn at 6:30 AM and, except for breakfast and lunch,spent the entire day outside....9 hours! Our weather is still chilly...45 degrees,but compared to what it has been for so long, it feels balmy.The scattered...
- Helpers
In yesterday's comments "Kris" asked if I have helpers.Absolutely.... I have helpers with every task that I set out to do! Some help more than others! But seriously, before you get the wrong impression,I have to tell you.... I couldn't take...