Living on this farm

Aside from the little mishap in the greenhouse yesterday morning, the days have been glorious! Sun shining, birds chirping, I’ve even seen green blades of grass here and there. Spring is on its way! I’ve fixed the greenhouse problem by putting one of our kerosene heaters in there. I turned it on low at 9:30pm and it was still going strong at 5am. Should have done this to begin with! Of course it’s like 40⁰ out there this morning. Go figure!

We’ve got maybe two more ewes yet to lamb. I came home to twins the day before yesterday already up and getting lost from mamma. Lambs are funny and goat kids are sort of like this too but right after a lamb is born, and once they feel moms loving tongue cleaning them up they are making every attempt to get on their feet to get to that milk, sometimes mom gots to follow behind licking as she goes making her voice familiar to the little one, then soon baby lamb is all cleaned up and eating. They are up and walking in no time. It really amazes me. Still though for the first 24 hours or so they’re a little out of it, almost spacey, kind a not sure about things. By day two though, they’ve joined the rest of the lambs playing and screaming at mom to come find them. By day three they are thinking hmm.. this alfalfa thing seems all the rage maybe I should try some. By day four they are the center of the universe. This is especially true for goats but it happens a day or two sooner.

I believe we are at 20 lambs, 5 male and 15 females. Something like that.
The chicks are doing well. I picked them up at the post office at 6:30 am yesterday morning. I could hear the chirping from outside the door. I love my small town Depew. I walked through the doors of the post office and the gentleman postmaster who called 30 minutes earlier greeted me like an old friend. Asking about the farm and how things were going. If I still lived in Seattle I would have been afraid and probably taken my chicks and stormed off thinking “the nerve, getting so personal”. Oh wait, I wouldn’t be receiving chickens nor would the post office in Seattle ever call me. A post office worker in Seattle would barely meet my eyes as I mailed a package or purchased stamps let alone wish me well or ask how things were going. Not just because they are burned out, overworked, overstressed government workers but the wrap around line (the mob) of impatient customers who would feel no hesitation telling us to clam up.
Today, I’ll be getting ready for my trip to Phoenix to visit my niece. I’m really looking forward to a break and lots of walks and hikes through the Sedona foot hills. I would like to visit the Grand Canyon but it’s about four hours away. I only have until Tuesday so I want to spend as much time on Bell Rock as I can.

As for planting goes, today we’ll finish planting onions and start on the potato beds.