Just another Day on the Farm

Bullwinkle is a week old dairy-beef cross bull calf, we picked him up and hauled him home, he has been feed a few times already and is a nice close to the house pen, one to keep very close eye on and two, because will not be moved to the barn for a week in regard for health checks etc

Lucky enough to buy my calves from local dairy just down the road, and I know that they get three days of mommas milk before being moved to general milk, makes a huge difference in health. Having said that, I have moved him to 4 feedings a day while moving over to powdered milk and to a bottle where he was on a bucket, its better for him to drink slower, work his nursing skills and create a lot more saliva etc

After a calm steady afternoon of care, juno had a lovely set of twin bucklings, the darker kid was born first with the cream second..

These are very new, just born photo.. Both have been up, nursed and where dipped and the whole family carefully tucked into a freshly bedded stall, I am very pleased with the shape, size and teat placement on juno’s bag..

She birthed well, was very much a instant mom, bonded and gentle.. steady and calm with us humans.. everything you could hope for in a first time fresher..

What a quiet and lovely day it has been today, a rest day as they say..

Napping can be a wonderful thing indeed..  This wee bundle is called Marble, and now we have three kittens on the farm this year..   an Marble makes three..  three lovely kittens that have joined the farm’s purrpots pride.. we will see who stays and who might get a new home off the farm..

Tuesday, was a ladies day.. one of those magic moment where a group of women gather, its a joy really.. they all knew me but while strangers meet in the morning, I think I can say that friendships were made.  We spent the morning visiting and playing with boxes, and totes of seeds, picking and share the bounty, no one left empty handed.. Then we had the most awesome potluck lunch and got busy planting out trays of seeds and transplanting baby tomato’s, peppers, and rhubarb seedlings..

it was great fun! we put those tomato babies into their big grow out pots and they were tucked in right to their leaves so that all the stem can grow more roots and create a strong plant to be moved out in five weeks give or take on my last frost dates..

We started more tomato’s cabbages, cucumbers and so much more.. just a handful of so many things, the push to get a few more of this and that to produce the first eating crops..

Afterwards it was perfect timing for tea and cake and more visiting..  Weds arrived bright and sunny..  and Farm Helper GG arrived to give a hand..

We got more layers planted into the teepee, we got all the early plantings into the front garden, and then we started on the main garden front area.. I am not sure how we forgot before photos.. but it was a lovely old mess with everything having overwinter but by the time we called it on Weds.. it was coming a long really well..

The front rows of fencing was already planted into peas a week ago, but the rest is being cleaned and prepped, it will be finished being planted by this weekend and I will do a proper walk about for you.. Are you getting your hands into soil yet?

Yesterday, we took a hike down a river edge and farmers fields early in the morning and had our breakfast on the river bank..

We also took a hike over and across a hay field and these two just begged to be taken in black and white..

Grandfather tree above and this fence to no where.. this was the whole fence.. what was left of something..

Then we went to town and I got a few fresh things, the forage pickings on and off the farm is so slim at the moment, last week, the only things I could forage was Bloody dock leaves, Stinging Nettles, Strawberry Leaves and SunChokes..  just not enough..   I am craving fresh so much!

I also am craving color and so I said to hubby, do you think that the local greenhouse is open, they will have little pansy’s ready already, they always do.. I knew that I would not buy a basket but I could buy a little set or two and make my own basket, so we turned in and then hubby said.. hey check this out.. Pink Blueberries..

Photo not mine, off the net, but gives you the idea..

How cool, so four new Pink Lemonade Blue Berry Bushes came home to the farm as well. I will keep them in their pots for a while yet and take the time needed to prepare their ground well and add them into the food hedges..

Any of you growing pink lemonade blueberries and if so, want to share what you think of them, some say, they taste like blueberry and other say they have hints of lemonade to them..

We spent a good amount of time mowing and taking back a area that got away from us last year.. we are mowing early this year with the mulching blades as I did not want to rake it all, but now that is nice and open, I can carefully put Juno out for a graze as goat control but it must be done very carefully or she will be happy to eat many things I do not want eaten 🙂

Still waiting on my goat kids but her bag is developing nicely, really liking what I am seeing so far, and her baby bump is growing daily at this point..

Its been a amazing week in terms of spending time outside, another 80 feet of peas planted, for a total of 165 feet worth in different gardens, total five kinds, snow pees, green peas, purple podded peas and one kind for drying and soups

Expanded the bed around the teepee garden, its first planting out is in peas..

my tray of rhubarb seedlings are doing well, some are tall and red and other short, thick and green.. having a seed starting, seedling transfer potting up girls day coming next week, going to be fun!

three nests full of healthy now eyes open of rabbit kits..

Patrick is the calmest, most friendly kitten ever!

and trusting, hubby say to me.. does this comfortable, I laughed and said, must get picture.. o Patrick.. you are truly a chill cat

I on the other hand am in training for my bust plans to get out an do more hikes this year.. running Sunday to Saturday, I got 5 walk-hikes in for a total of 7 km, which is both great and not to much at the same time. I still need energy to do the farm and slowly build up strength after a winter of healing from falling though the floor in the out building..

Have a great sunday..