I haven't written in about a week ... it's been busy here on the farm. We where sad to see Kevin and Maia go but we have much evidence of thier stay and of course our carrott is now home : )
I'm VERY happy to report the fruit trees have all FINALLY exploded... I was down right miffed a few weeks ago when I drove 5 miles into the next valley and was in apparently a completely different time zone.. as all the cherry's where blooming plum applpe everything was out in full force... so needless to say when my cherries , pear, apples etc finally caught up .. I wanted to say well there you are!! you slept a bit late NO???!!! I think my terroir was down right lazy... I got the "stay out to late and get up when she feels like it" spring this year.. but now that she is up she is sauntering about :) flinging her hair and generally making herself known and it's nice to see her... : )
Edward and goats are happily munching away slowly but surely we'll get this place cleared but I did also buy a really fine pair of lever action loppers from OVS (thanks Kevin) and they aid in scotch broom abatement they where pricey but VERY worth it.. the right tool does make all the difference... but as I stand there cleaning up after th goats I will admit I try not to think about 40 more acres of broom as I have only about 1 acre cleared behind me to date... sighhh...
The pigs well they are sooo cute and I scratch their bellies and they run around and mess with me and play... ohhh man they will be hard to .. you know ..... so I cleaned their pen a few days ago and ohhh again soo cute ran around in the new fresh straw grabbing it in their mouths and flinging it I didn't know pigs where soo playful... then rolling around scratching their bellies in the straw... so cute and sooo tasty : )
All this wonderful animalness was dwarfed by the "egg-mobile" Brian has been working on this project and has done an amazing job ... it bears to mention that Kevin (the newly engaged) launched this project and helped Brian build the foundation of this great work and as we know the foundation is where it all starts... ... this is a kind of chicken tractor but MUCH more sophisticated we have had lots of flocks in Napa but we have admittedly upped the anti big time... we have 28 chickens (and may even go up to 50 depending on how egg marketing goes) we used our napa experience combined with our reading about pasture raising chickens from various sources so we have this mobile unit for nesting, roosting, night time lock down and egg laying and in the day we have a lightweight solar electric fence that moves with the egg-mobile a moving feast for the girls ... This constant new pasture keeps the chickens very healthy happy and hopefully disease free. as we are raising them totally free of antibiotics wormer's etc... I can't say the "O" word as we are not certified but I can say this is "O" plus some : ) ... so after we got all this set up we sat down and watched chicken -tv into the evening I was in heaven : )
Oh and lest we might miss out on feeling like as Brian says "this place is like a barnyard" I replaced the chickens on the porch with 5 baby quail and 3 Pheasant ...
I finish with some photo's of me and Mr. Chief who I've just started riding again now that the ground is drying up after winter : ) I hope to start riding a lot more soon... He's been enjoying all the abundant green spring grass it makes him vary happy and I'm happy now as I've down graded his fence with help from Brian to one strand of tape and some VERY light plastic fence posts... it makes a new pasture a snap... it's hard to believe a 1300lb animal is that respectful of a piece of hot tape but he is : ) happily...
6 comments:
great post! so many juicy pictures, too. that hubby of yours is quite the chef.
so glad to hear your fruit trees are performing up to expectations. :-)
I've said this before, but it stands to be repeated...if I was a chick I'd be doing things to Brian to win him away from you that you've never even thought of. Okay, maybe I've never said that, or even thought it, but homemade pizza and baking cookies gets my manly all tangled up. Good (deity of your choice) you've got a good one there. Thanks for the extensive farm update. My skimpy little planter boxes somehow look like a zippo compared to an industrial grade flame thrower.
mr. sproket you are sooo right : ) thank god your not a chick : ) now you make me want to clean the house and earn my keep : ) xoxo c
Clare, just a note about how things are going here at your old home in Napa. The Mourning Doves are still here, happily munching the bird seed that is thrown to the ground by the finches, etc., at the feeder near the garage door. The doves had babies, so there are four doves in the back yard most of the time. All the birds and squirrels have Heidi's number and pay her no mind at all. The peach tree shows no sign of peach leaf curl so far, and has tons of peaches (incipient, that is) on it; I hope many survive, as they are so good). The poppies (golden and Flanders) have been glorious, and the addition of the white old roses was inspired. So beautiful! The 280 bulbs I planted have come and gone, leaving the neighbors happy, I've planted lots of tiny plants in the front, built a small berm, widened the walk a tiny bit with 1/4 by x gravel, and thank you so much for the asparagus!!!!! Love, Lois
oh lois I loved the up date ... for the best peaches imigineable you probably know this.. and it breaks ones heart to do so but you MUST thin them one fist between each peach wait till they are about walnut size and then sadly "drop" the crowded fruit.. you will have the most amazing peaches ever that tree is just awesome.. I do miss the napa spring.. so glad the asparagus is performing for you ...I have started poppies from seeds I brought with me from your house they are only about 1 inch tall so we'll see... ahh those Flanders poppies are sooo gorgeous!!! they always where the show stopper of the block they always made joan envious : ) I miss her sweetness... will you e-mail me a photo? re those doves they have had babies in the back yard three years running now .. are they over by the shower in the plum tree they love the patch under the peach tree.. oh I can just see it all how wonderful!! thanks for sharing... I must come by and see your handy work when I come down in may... take good care.. clare
Yes, the doves are by the shower and under the peach tree and of course, under the bird feeder. Clare, they don't even look when Heidi walks past. That dog is so amazing. And the Girls just run right over her when I let them out. I do have pictures of the yard. If I put them on my yahoo photos site, can you view them with your dialup? I don't know if I told you, but Heidi and I are expecting. I'm getting a 3 mo old Cairn male on May 5; the breeder is in WV and is flying two puppies out that day and then leaving the next to go home (I only get one of the puppies). This is the first addition in what will be many, I am sure. His name will be Jack, and I hope the Girls and he will get along as well as Heidi has with all the critters in the back yard. Topper was when the shed door was left open one day while I was gardening and I came back to a squirrel running out of the shed after gorging all afternoon on the peanuts that were in the plastic can (50 gal) that he had removed the lid from. Pile of rocks on the lid now. I miss you - come see me if you have time. Bring Clementine too! lq
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