Spring tonic

Ready for my spring tonic. I picked Poke Salad greens for me and wild greens for the goats. They come running when I bring the pine boughs, sweet gum, privet, honeysuckle, vetch and wild grasses. I know it makes them feel good as it does me. This time of year I am tired of winter food, canned and frozen vegetables or heavy fried meat, I am ready for something fresh and green. I have enjoyed fresh eggs every morning for the past few months, now fresh greens for dinner. Just a few more months of waiting for that first home grown tomato.

Handspinners and Friends

Friends David and Martha and lots of handspinners from North Carolina came for a fiber farm and woolen mill tour. It was a beautiful day and well spent visiting and talking about fiber and fiber animals. Everyday is a workday here so I am happy to take a break and enjoy the company of other fiber producers and handspinners.

The story

There is a story in every birth, the fiber that is shorn, the yarn that is spun, the garment that is made. Every sheep and goat has a name and a face that I recognize. To produce such a fine fiber they have to be well care for. It is a labor of love between ewe and lamb, doe and kid, sheep and shepherd. When you touch the finished product you can feel the months of feeding and care, you can see the many hours of washing, carding, spinning, knitting, weaving or felting. You can feel the difference of fibers that are alive.

Sleep tight

Worried

I didn't sleep at all Tuesday night during the thunder storm and rain. I had turned Pennelope out that evening with the goats, on the backside of the barn, and with Kay, the Pyrenees. I could just imagine Kay barking at Pennelope, who would be trying to get in the barn and out of the storm, and all the goats running to the top of the hill, to escape the horse monster. The goats, and the dog, on that side of the pasture have never been pastured with a mini horse and usually won't go near the barn when a horse can be smelled. I ran to the barn early the next morning to find everyone sound asleep, even Kay.

Spring

I am enjoying this spring weather, not ready for summer. The gradual shift is much easier on the animals, and me, than the years where we go from winter to summer. We have had plenty of rain, and hopefully it won't stop completely like it did last May. Grass is growing in the pastures and the barn is very low on hay, again a gradual shift from hay to grass is good for the sheep's stomach, too rich grass can cause stomach upsets, scours and bloating. The bred ewes and does are starting to bag up, the new protein rich grass helps with that, and should start dropping lambs and kids the end of April. Still much to do to prepare before then. The lambing and kidding barn has to be scraped down, limed and fresh straw scattered on the floor before they can begin. They need a clean environment to come into a dirty world. Most will be born outside on the pasture, which is cleaned by the sun and rain, but some will be born in the barn, possibly during the night. You can never kill all the germs that grow in a barn, but the lime will help and the sheep and lambs will enjoy sleeping on the fresh straw.

Weekend

My favorite girl spent the weekend and we spent some time with our favorite girl horse, Pennelope. We tried picking her hooves Sunday afternoon, but she decided to set back on her rope and turned a flip, after we got her up and untied her, she was willing to stand there and let me pick and Magi brush her hooves. Pennelope has been very easy to train and work with, you might say wants to please. She did not start off living at such a nice home, but since she came here, life has been easy. A little too easy, as she is now on a diet. A very easy keeper and a small and short package, does not need lush grass, so we have to let her graze for a short time then bring her into the barn for the rest of the day. Life is good for the pony.