The four wild-looking sheep.
This is Tommy, our Mini-Lop buck, who now has no mate.
The four smaller pigs are ours – they like rooting around and smelling everything.
The black pig and the belted pig below are another 4-H family’s, but we are keeping all the pigs together. They are social creatures.
The tomatoes have grown a lot since this photo. I needed to repot some of the plants in the lower photo yesterday. Overall, the seed growing business has been a great deal of fun and has gone very well. Making me wonder why I haven’t done this before!
Ok, you are probably wondering what this blurry photo is all about … see the round whitish brown blob in the very center … that’s a Mallard egg! This pic was taken with only four eggs in the nest. She’s doubled that number.
Couldn’t resist taking these pics. Sometimes the sky is just so absolutely beautiful … the light is truly heavenly.
My deceptively green yard!
We were expecting to have a nest-box full of baby rabbits next week, but the mother rabbit (a beautiful Mini-Lop) died unexpectedly over the weekend. I’d just checked her Friday, and her dewlap (area under her chin where she would have gotten the fur to line her nest) was getting large and she was eating well. Angelina checked in on Saturday during chores and all was well, but she noticed the mother hadn’t eaten as much. The next morning, Eric discovered her. Angelina (it was her rabbit) and her dad buried Checkers Sunday afternoon.
Sometimes these things happen. We couldn’t determine a cause. So, plans change. 4-H friends have a Mini-Rex buck whom we hope to mate with Princess Leia (our Mini-Rex doe). We plan to get her over to their farm this week, and further hope to have a batch of rabbits by the second week of June. Only time will tell.
This is Princess Leia.
Looking out from my back porch... the lawn is truly greening up, but it’s deceptive! On closer inspection, the broad-leaved weeds have a strong hold on our field-turned-yard. The trees and lilacs are starting to leaf out, too.
I am thankful for... sunny cool days. Days when schoolwork is completed without whining and done before 4pm.
I am reading… books on poultry. A few of my laying hens aren’t as healthy as they could be, and I’m trying to find an organic/natural resolution to their problem.
I am hearing... balls rolling on the foosball table and Louis digging in the legos.
I am wearing… jean capris, orange t-shirt and grey cardigan with flip-flops.
From the sewing/craft room (aka. laundry room!)… Sewing is going on!!! Both Dash and Angelina cut out their 4-H clothing projects on Saturday. I also cut out a pattern for kid pajamas.
From the school room... Angelina took her CAT test today (I do this every year, even if it’s not needed by the school district), and Zeke started his CAT test. Dash is scheduled to be tested by a certified monitor on Wednesday. His is the only test that must be submitted. Dash and Angelina are becoming more accomplished on piano. I enjoy listening to each of them practice and wish it were me playing!
From the kitchen... Zeke made chocolate chip cookies on Saturday. Otherwise, I’ve felt mighty uncreative in the kitchen, lately.
From the FarmYard … Did I mention that the pigs arrived last Monday?? Pictures of them below. They are rambunctious and running around when they aren’t eating or sleeping.
sheep, four wild sheep according to Dash, arrived on the farm Sunday afternoon. Eric and all the kids left to pick up the critters and gave me some quiet time in my messy home.
And!… a mallard duck is nesting in the front planter. Thus far she’s layed 8 eggs. I’d like to get in there and plants some flowers (it’s a big planter and planting can be done while she’s away and without disturbing her nest)
From the Garden … one planter has been planted … brown-eyed susan vine, gerber daisies, sweet potato vines, and something with white flowers (can’t remember the name!). Weeded the garden bed on the side of the garage. It felt wonderful to get out and do some yard work!
A Pull-My-Hair-Out moment … Latin … specifically Henle I. This is the language we started with and have invested soo very much time into the learning. I must say that Latin is really the only consistent challenge for my two oldest children. But OOHHH is Henle I challenging for both child and teacher right now …. when the outdoors are calling and we’d both rather be doing something (anything) else.
A successful moment… I am caught up on laundry.
A few plans for the rest of the week…
Monday: Tae Kwon Do. 4-H projects.
Tuesday: 4-H projects. Planting in the garden?
Wednesday: Dash & Angelina have orthodontist appts, I have a dental check-up for the periodontal surgery I had in March.
Thursday: Tae Kwon Do. 4-H projects. Planting in the garden?
Friday/Saturday/Sunday: 4-H projects. Possible 4-H meeting.
A picture memory...
I wasn’t expecting the chicks today, but they arrived today. No worries, though, we had all the supplies ready to go and it only took Eric and Dash 15 minutes to get the brooder set up. By the time I returned from the post-office, everything was in place.
This year, we are raising the Cornish Rock X for meat. To supplement the laying flock, 5 Barred Rock and 5 Buff Orpington were added to the order. All arrived lively and ready to eat/drink. They do have wing feathers coming in, so they are not ‘brand’ new; thank goodness they all arrived safely.
The Cornish Rock X are a lighter yellow and are distinguishable from the Buff Orpington in that the Buff’s have a slightly darker, more orange coloring. The Barred Rocks are black.
They will live in their water tank brooder for 2-3 weeks and then be moved to the Wahoo. Last year the chicks were separated into two brooders, and then joined together in a large cardboard enclosure in our house garage while we worked on the Wahoo. They weren’t moved out until they were about 4 weeks, maybe 5 weeks, old. They made a mess … dust all over everything. So, the Wahoo is ready this year, and the goal is to move them out sooner.
Only Louis was out to see the chicks while they were introduced to the brooder. Angelina, Zeke, and Graham are still under the weather. Dash, the resident 14yo, was doing his schoolwork (I think!) and this is old-hat. Louis wasn’t sure what to make of all the noise … he thought they were super cute, though, and chattered away while I worked to introduce them to water and chick feed.
Ahhh, it’s so much fun to have babies around the farm yard!
*I wrote this post days ago and am just now getting it posted, but last week was nuts!! Sick kids, lots of laundry, baby birds, prepping for the weekend, travel and meetings on Thursday, it never ends, does it?? It’s all generally good, but hectic. I’m sure you can relate.
%5B5%5D.jpg "002 (2)")
%5B7%5D.jpg "001 (2)")
%5B6%5D.jpg "003 (2)")