Monthly Archives: May 2014

**I am practically headless today, trying to get everything ready for the launch of The Shepherd and The Shearer 2014 today. Luckily, Amy has a report from the farm for you to peruse in the meantime.**

It’s that time of spring where it’s really crunchtime.  SO much work to be accomplished before the true heat of summer hits.

It also happens to be lambing season!

Even though I am completely exhausted (We check on our ewes and lambs every two to three hours around the clock), I’ve been managing to still get a fair amount of work done.

We took delivery of hay yesterday:

It’s gorgeous.  This picture does not even do justice to how soft and green it is.  It smells heavenly, and I imagine it tastes it as well.

The goslings and ducks have graduated out of the brooder and into the poultry tractor so they can roam around on fresh grass.  Pretty soon they will have a big pen out back with a giant water tub to swim in.

Wild irises are growing up around the edges of the stream (I am crazy happy for these lovely volunteers!).

My blueberry bush is fruiting!  If I can manage it soon I will be putting in a peach tree or two as well, to compliment the three apple trees we planted last year (yes, we have many years to wait before they fruit, but it will be worth it when they do!).  I also managed to put in two basil plants, and if all goes well later this week I will add two more plus some lavender and rosemary bushes.

Neve and I put down straw in the front garden along all of the pathways to discourage weeds, and I managed to get all of my bean poles staked and roped for the beans and peas that have sprouted.

I leveled out a spot next to the beehive for our second hive, which is going in on Tuesday (eventually I have to level out the first one as well!).  The first hive is crazy productive and I  had to add a third hive box on top since they’ve already used up the first two!

I cannot wait for our first honey harvest!  Speaking of which, one of my new favorite things is to watch the bees returning to the hive laden with pollen:

They are very docile bees.  I have their hive situated in my garden, and I have been spending a lot of time quite close by them weeding and working with spring plants, and they haven’t bothered with me one bit.

I haven’t gotten to the back garden yet, but that will be squash and tomatoes, and the growing season for them is longer than for the spring crops out front, so I still have a little bit of wiggle room.  When I am not quite so cranky and tired I will get out there and get that started (hopefully within in the next 4 or 5 days).

In the meantime, the best part of our days (and nights) is cooing over (and snuggling) all the little cuties we’ve been blessed with so far.

I can’t think of a cuter reason to be so tired!  Eight lambs, roughly 8 pregnant ewes left.  Let’s get this done!