Spring Shearing

Earlier this week I got an email from our shearers. We have had a hard time coordinating a time. They wanted to come tonight between 6 and 7. I knew it would be a late night but we had some hot days this week and the sheep need it badly. Thankfully, they arrived closer to 6. We finished up right at 9. Everyone was tired and dirty but that was a huge chore marked off the list.

The sheep are definitely more comfortable!  A yearling ewe in front. The unshorn rams in the background are slated for freezer camp in a couple of weeks.

Welcome Ludovic

Meet the newest addition to our "homestead security" team! Ludovic is a 9 week old dutch shepherd. He is a very handsome fellow, we think

He loves Ziva and thinks she would be great fun to play with.

I think she feels the same!

Sis and I made a trip to Lowes's today. She needed some mulch and I needed soaker hoses for the strawberries.Well, she got mulch...only because it was in the garden center! We got totally sidetracked with a cart of 1.00 plants! I am not sure the reason they had been discounted so deeply because they looked perfectly fine. So we loaded the truck with geraniums, purple wave petunias and gerber daisies. I added a few red geraniums that were regular price and some blue daze plants. Pots are now overflowing with color!

Halfway home I remembered I had not gotten the hoses. Want to go back? sis asked. Nah, it's supposed to rain. Next trip, front door and list!

Early Corn and Green Beans

We don't normally plant corn this early but decided to give it a go this year. Doug has been itching to try it and so when we got in from work today he planted 3 rows. It will be awesome if Mother Nature will cooperate and the corn makes! Taking another chance we also planted a row of green beans.

Our last frost date is not until April 15 so we'll see what happens.

A Busy Wednesday

Monday's rain put us way behind on the week's chores. So, today we crammed two days worth of work into one!
It started with early morning baking and delivering some special order breads and back home by 9:30. We have a new farm intern and she arrived as I pulled back in the drive.
The rest of the day began.
First on the list was to make a lavender soap for my future daughter-in-law (yes, Luke is engaged!) that she wanted to give as favors to her bride's maids.

Lavender essential oil, ground lavender buds and a purple swirl, it turned out quite lovely!
Then we were off to the barn to feed and water the meat birds and fill water buckets. Next on the list was planting the potatoes that were supposed to go in on Monday. We lacked enough potatoes to finish about 20 feet of the 3rd 100 foot row. I will pick up a few more next trip to the feed store. A quick stop for lunch and then we headed to the greenhouse to get the strawberry plants. Black plastic was rolled out and holes cut to tuck each plant in. 75 planted today, we are still waiting for the other 25 to ship.

Even when those arrive I think there is still room for probably another 25 or so and I may try to find enough to finish out the row. Sis weeded the garlic and we called it a good garden day!
After our intern left, it was time for afternoon barn chores and I still had to snap a few pics to finish up the newly revised website that should be back up and running very soon!

A great day on the homestead!

Last night the temperature dropped to a record breaking 25*. It looks a though the blueberries made in through..

not so much the Star magnolia though..

Hopefully this was winter's last hoorah and Spring will be here to stay!

It's potato planting time and today I cut up 65 pounds of seed potatoes to dry a bit before going in the ground. Yukon Gold, Reds and All Blue purple potatoes will hopefully be planted tomorrow.

A Late Deep Freeze

After baking and delivering bread, Ziva  and I had an early Schutzhund training session. Back home by lunch, it was time for farm chores. Today we finally finished the daunting pile of wood that has been stacked by the garden for most of the winter. Several hours of splitting and stacking wood and the wood shed was neat, tidy and ready for next winter. With this done I can finally put the row of blackberries and raspberries along the outer edge of the garden.
Not today though. Unfortunately we are going to be hit with a late record breaking deep freeze. So after all other chores were done, we started hauling plants in the garage that had just earlier this week enjoyed some 70* days. In addition to that, we wrapped the blueberry bushes, now in full bloom, with sheets, feed bags and row cover. It looked more like a bad Halloween decorating theme than a blueberry patch. Fingers crossed it's enough and we'll save the blooms. Tomorrow will tell...