2019 Spring Edition
This week went from freezing and yuck to sunshine and glorious. The weekend (a long one in New Zealand and traditionally time to put the tomatoes in the garden) was so beautiful the sun shone and I felt hot. I loved it so much that when the weekend was over and the morning was cool I still felt warm. I think the sun warmed my core and the vitamin D worked wonders for my mood and motivation.
In Animal News
This week we received a mother hen and her five chicks. This mother hen is a real uppity thing. I suppose that is what makes her a good mom but I personally prefer hens that do not go crazy every time I bring food or water…
I was able to graze the girls on the berm, that was fun. All good things do come to an end and on the second day my heifer decided to go slip under the line and visit with the bulls along their fence line. Luckily, she was good enough to come the moment I called her. She ran up to me like she was so proud and there was no problem at all, silly heifer. I put her in the dog run and said sorry lady but you are in the dog box for that. Heifers are a funny bunch they often have attitude and once every 21 days they tell the whole street whats going on for two to three days. Although my two little beef heifers are so quiet so maybe its only some heifers or maybe they are both too young to cause a proper ruckus.
Our first group of chicks (still 13!) are occasionally escaping the enclosure I have them in. Sunday evening I found three out. I managed to get two back in but the last one was being elusive. I put the kids on the job but that slippery little chick just kept getting away. We finally decided to leave it and the rest of the evening was filled with concern over whether we will be able to reunite it. Shortly before bed time I went out to listen for the super cute noises that chicks make at night. I heard all the ones with their mama and went that way to just see if the absconder had found its way back to the nest. Sure enough in the little hutch next door (currently home to a duck sitting on eggs that are past the due date) was the runaway. I managed to scoop it up, not be bitten by the duck, and put it with its mama. Alls well that ends well!
Whats Growing
So much happened outside this weekend! The flower garden has had a good weed and compost (where things are planted). I really love when compost is freshly spread and looks so dark and rich. It really makes the flowers pop. I cleared a garden bed and sowed carrot seeds and berlotti beans. I string trimmed around some hedges and tidied around the roses. I know when I write this it looks so little but honestly it took ages to actually get done.
Not sure that whats growing is the place to put this as its more of a whats failing but I am putting it here anyway. Whats failing… All my peppers! Seems the slugs and snails are taking down my food! I am so disappointed I was planning on an awesome pepper year. I will just start some more and that is that!
Project News
I am so excited to report that we finally took down all the old dilapidated fencing! It was knocked out in a couple hours and it was such a good feeling to have that step marked of the project plan! Now to mark out the post and measure them. We also cleared the trees that were getting close to power lines, I am not trying to be responsible for the streets power going out!
Yes looking at left over fencing is fun 
Before 
After
Slowly slowly slowly I am working my way around the bottom wire of the pig paddock. I wanted them out on the paddock already but that is going to have to wait a little longer. I started out with getting a piddly .5 not even close to enough to keep anything in. After going around with the line trimmer I got it to 2 and then a little messing around with the ground I have it at 3. It only took hours to get that 3 but Im halfway there. I want it at 6 so I will have to keep on keeping on… I also order some sheep netting and hopefully I will pick that up soon!
What I Learned
This week I learned that sometimes when you share your farm plans with people who are technically more farmer than you (as in raised on a farm and still farming) they might call you a quack. I decided that it is ok because one, they are good people and two, I imagine some of the stuff I do is a little weird for folks that have been told by their parents and others that there is a perfectly good way to do things.
The end
