Catching up....

 

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The days, they have wings!  Another week has flown by and I feel like I have neglected you nice reader-friends.  The day after Easter, Easter Monday, Hubs went to town to buy seed for the hay field which my dad had plowed up last fall.  The guys went over it a few more times with the disk and the chisel to loosen up the soil and make a nice seed bed.  As it turned out, it turned into a blowing field of dust.  Think Dust Bowl.  The wind blew hard every single day of the past week, and the thought of planting seed in the wind was another challenge for the men.  They ended up taping some plastic over the seeder so the seed wouldn't blow out before the it hit the ground.  The field is now planted with alfalfa, crested wheat grass, and barley which, if it comes up as hoped, will make a lovely stand of hay this summer.  The planting was completed on Thursday and all that was left was to pray for rain.  Today we are getting a nice shower with the possibility that it could turn to snow by nightfall.  We shall see.  Even a good, spring snow (poor man's fertilizer) would be most welcomed here.

I have been working up the flower beds.  There are many annuals and some perennials in my beds, so with a small spade in hand, I've been digging around amongst the plants for grass, dandelions, Queen Anne's lace, and hollyhocks which are trying to take over my backyard.  I've made a good beginning, but there is one bed yet which requires more of my hard work and attention.  These gardens are like unruly children who are always in need of my attention and diligence lest they get out of hand and turn into wild things.  It is up to me to shape them into well-disciplined citizens of the backyard.  I'm sure I need a truckload of mulch to keep everything in check.  Little by little, I will win, or I will go down trying!

The bum lambs are still in the infirmary trying to get over their nasty sickness.  I found out that the medicine I had in the vet cupboard might have lost some of its strength over a year's time, so I got some new stuff from the vet.  He said everybody with livestock is having trouble this spring with coccidiosis.  I sent a manure sample in with Hubs on Monday so the vet could test it.  The bummies still tested positive for coccidiosis and also had a case of worms, so T. fetched home a bottle of medicine to take care of that problem too.  I had truly hoped that I could be done with bottle feeding by now, but I feel I must continue with it until I get the buggers over their sickness and then begin the weaning process.  I lost another bum yesterday.  I could see it coming, but I couldn't do any more for him.  Poor thing.  Now I am down to 16 bum lambs after the death loss and after selling 3 lambs to friends for their 4-H project.  The poor friends have had to deal with this nasty sickness too.  I feel so bad for them.

Sandhill Crane from Birdwatching Magazine
Listen here.

(Wouldn't it be a sight to see a baby crane with its parents?)

As I was out feeding cows and sheep yesterday I came upon a pair of Sandhill Cranes.  I didn't have my camera so I couldn't snap a picture for you, but I thoroughly enjoyed listening to them court one another as they walked together over the hill from where the sheep were feeding.  Quite a sight, I must say.  I hope they stay around and make a nest together.

The heifers are nearly done calving.  I think there are eight left on the hill here by the house so we continue to watch them.  We brought the mature cows closer to home and they will begin calving any day now.  We will check on them a couple times a day, looking for new babies.  It's always so much fun to drive out into the big pastures and find baby calves behind tufts of grass or down in a swale. It's nearly like going on an Easter Egg hunt!

My chicks will be arriving at the feed store on Monday so I'll be making a trip to town to collect them and the feed I will need for them.  The Littles will love going out to feed the peeps every day.  There is nothing much cuter than a baby chick.  I'll report back with pictures in a few days.

We were out late last night listening to the music played by Middle Child and his band at a pub in the Big City.  He sings and plays acoustic guitar.  They did a terrific job, but the two hour drive home has made me one tired but proud mama.  I think a nap will be in order this afternoon.  I wouldn't mind falling asleep to the sound of rain against the windows.  I hope you are having a lovely weekend listening to the rain or basking in the sunshine.