In Pictures

Victor

Pullo playing hide and go seek with Adam

One of the visiting Beach Lake ewes

Being helpful

Harvested garlic

CVMs in the pasture

 Godiva

Coming Up for Air

My sister has been scolding me for not updating more frequently, but it seems like we've only had two types of days lately.  The ones where it pours rain and all I could post were pictures of wet, miserable sheep or sunny days where we are frantically trying to make up for lost time and don't have a camera anywhere near us.  So to make up for it, here is a list of things that have happened while we've been treading water:

1.  We had two new pastures fenced off.  This was supposed to be done in the end of April, but see the note above about the endless rain and inability to get anything done during. 

2.  The yaks, despite getting new pastures, are relatively unimpressed. 

(Niobe, giving Adam "The Unimpressed Yak Look."  Note how she is standing next to the barn, and not in a new pasture)

3.  Nutsy's babies have gotten a lot bigger:



4.  Adam got three of our CVM girls sheared, Dutchess, Contessa and Princess.  Dutchess and Princess had really nice fleece this year, but Contessa has a little wool break.  So does Milady, who had a difficult time birthing Charlie and Edmund.  I have a feeling that we won't even try to spin up their fleeces, but rather have them made into batting or pillows.  Dutchess is so soft I couldn't resist washing up a few handfuls and then drop spinning it right away to see how it did.  And that was so lovely I had to then blend it with some of Nimbus's angora.  Wonderful yarn both ways (although being a big softie, I prefer with the angora)

From top to bottom:

Princess

Dutchess with angora

Dutchess plain

5.  Speaking of Charlie and Ed, they have been temporarily transplanted.  The Bratlings, as they were called around here, had no respect for fenced pastures, new or old.  They were constantly climbing under the fence to nap under the lawn mower, of all things.  They were also getting into the neighbor's yard and inching ever closer to the road, so we've sent them to live with Adam's parents for awhile until they're too big to fit under our fences.  Fathead, The Nose and Sweet Pea also went with them.  In exchange, some of the larger ewes from their farm will be coming over here to stay through the fall. 

6.  We are not having baby chicks this year.  We had several hens that went broody, but we were gone for a week to California and during that time, in a supreme act of mean girl-ness, someone kicked someone else's eggs out of the nest and then laid new ones and some hatched and didn't make it and it was a big mess.  And to tell the truth, we need more chickens right now like we need more mosquitos.  So Adam cleared out all the eggs to prevent any disease from starting in the coop and we'll try again next year. 

Surprise!

We had considered this year something of a wash as far as our turkeys go.  Trigger, despite his best attempts, could never seem to win Nutsy's affections.  She seemed far more interested in following Adam around the farm.  When Trigger disappeared awhile ago, she didn't seem very disappointed.  He, on the other hand, was seen in another farmer's field with some of his wild brethren, looking pretty pleased with himself. 

So after Trigger's disappearance and after stalking Adam lost it's appeal, she started disappearing into the orchard.  We had joked that she had given up on the pretty boy, Trigger, and had found herself a wilder boy.  You know, the type with a motorcycle who hangs out with the bad crowd?  She had been nesting behind the barn, but that nest was abandoned and for the past few weeks she's been pretty elusive.

Today, Adam spotted her in the orchard.  With company.

Apparently, she definately found a mate more to her liking, because she has 15 little ones!  Adam's guessing that they're between three and five days old. 

Jet Lagged

Last week Adam, Morwin and I all traveled to Carlsbad, California, for my yearly physical therapy update.  While the trip itself was awesome, being away mostly serves as a reminder of how much we'd rather just be at the farm.  Particularly when the return trip involves a two hour holding pattern in turbulence over Chicago, a canceled flight, a rebooked flight that doesn't leave for two days, screaming children, rescheduled flights that don't leave on time, a whole new airport not on the itinerary, lost luggage and a best friend willing to drive us three hours home after getting off work at 10pm.  We may never leave home again. 

We did finally make it back late last night and today are recovering from traveling for 24 hours straight with brief periods of productivity (do the dishes!  wash all the clothes!) and long naps.  Adam's trying to get caught up on mowing the lawn, which is now high enough to lose Thora in- and that was with Adam's dad being awesome and mowing for us while we were away.  We still don't have baby chicks, but someone has been keeping the nest warm so we have hope.  Adam's mom and dad were nice enough to keep Charlie and Ed on their farm for the week, and even weaned them off the bottles for us! 

However, the strangest part of the homecoming was this morning when Adam, a little bleary and not nearly caffeinated enough (no milk for coffee, ugh) peered out the window to find one of our roosters was loose and riding a turtle across our driveway. 

We may need some more sleep.

I would have taken a picture, but the camera is still in the suitcase that has not yet made its way home. 

Broody

It would appear that one (or two) of our hens have gone broody. 

Apparently Chaparone Thora needs to step up her game. 

We may have baby chicks soon...

In Bloom

When we bought the farm, we discovered that there's a very old apple orchard on the farm that was left to go wild.  Adam and his dad have been doing some pruning this spring to try and bring it back.  This week, it went into full bloom and has been absolutely gorgeous.

Lambs gone wild

It's kind of hard to explain the crazy that is lambs.  Out of nowhere, with no warning, seemingly normal lambs appear to lose their minds and run amok.  Perhaps pictures will help.

See, normal lambs. Nice and calm.

Crazy lambs

See the difference?

Normal

Crazy.

I blame spring.

Also, obligatory picture of Charlie, looking very handsome with his horns coming in.