Dirt Tired

It's the first time this year I have that gardened out, dirt tired feeling. Moving the compost pile is good dirt work, maybe it also has something to do with night weening, Morgan.  Our three little pigs don't seem to lack energy and excitement (specially when they escape)  they get super hyper and fun around the yard than come to the door and make loud noise to let me know they have escaped! "Hurry up and bring us something good to eat already". But just look at that rooting power! 

The passion for hard work starts at seventeen months.  Morgan is not happy without a tool in his hand and do NOT take tools away from him. Don't worry, Grandma, the saw is kept away these days. 

The rock wall is almost complete and rosemary and lavender has been planted. I plan four years in the making, feels so good to have that done. 

The fog stayed around for over two weeks, with yesterday being our first sunshine peek in a while. We all stayed outside all day and moved to do work as the sun moved around the yard. I was good to see the bees out, both our hives look healthy this spring so hopefully we'll get splits this year. 

As soon as Daddy comes home from work, Morgan makes sure he gets his Daddy working time in the garden. He is worse than I am, yelling for Noah to keep digging every time he stops. He gets really excited when Noah brings out his axe or really digs fast. Something aspire too. 

At a young age he knows where rocks belong, even though he can hardly reach the top of the wheelbarrow. We have expanded our garden this winter, so I really feeling like the gardening didn't ever stop this winter, it made the winter pass extremely fast. We just placed our West Coast Seed order this week, which is always a very exciting part of gardening. Oh the options and possibilities.  

New to our family and farm is Jasper. Our farm now has eyes, ears and a good nose. It is nice to know he's watching out for the children and next August when Mr Bear comes along for our honey, I won't be the one up at night.  He has fit right in to our little farm and brings us a sense of wholeness. With pigs, bees, ducks and a dog our farm has eye's, ears, nose, limbs, a growing stomach and slug eating, compost making and pollination abilities.
I'm thinking chickens these days and I really can't decide, if you have a heritage layer you love please let me know all about it. Let's talk chicks. 

One sun day

Today Lyra locked herself in the greenhouse, she was in there for about ten minutes before I called her in for lunch and heard her call back to me, "I'm locked in the Greenhouse!!!" When I ran out to let her out she told me that she had prepared a bed for the night with the bail of straw and would eat sour leaves (sorrel) that are growing in there, in case I didn't find her until the next day. Of course I would never have noticed her missing until the next day. At least I know she is a creative soul who can make the best of a situation. 

Another discovery, look what I found in a bucket in the freezer that I had forgotten about. A  five gallon of blackberries that we picked last summer. Blackberry smoothie time and maybe some jam. 

"I'll huff and I'll puff and I'll blow your house in".

The three little pigs have doubled in size since they arrived three weeks ago, converting milk, grain and veggies into protein at a fast pace. They are great fun to watch, the children love to stand and watch them rooting about and wrestling. Pigs are very clean, which I like, they always make their bed of straw or hay and never mess where they eat. They also sleep in a little heap all snuggled together, keeping warm. 

Three little helpers feeding the veggies scraps to the pigs. It's very exciting and always seems to make the children hungry and thirsty. The sound of the pigs crunching and slurping up their water. 

The little man takes this job very seriously and gets upset when the veggie box in empty, he starts going around the yard picking up any bits of greenery and throwing it in the pen. 

When I was younger Paul  used to say to me "All you need to build a castle is a million dollars and a box of rocks".  I knew better, what I needed was a man who knew how to build with stone. For this I call my husband the evolved man. We also have extremely rocky soil, meaning almost all of these rocks came from the half acre which we inhabbit. 

This is tomorrow's project. I won't post photos of my much less evolved rock garden beds, but they are more on my scope of rock ability. 

With Dada's herding rod, it's been foggy these days which makes me want to photograph everything.

goat girl goo goo goggles

Today we found a window without rain and headed down the road to Perrywinkle Cottage to meet the New Kids on the block, Vincent Van Goat and Frida Kahlo . They are only a few days old and so tiny. Lyra was in love, running, chasing and holding kid goats. Morgan liked the ducks, but wasn't sure about the strange large animals who wanted to nibble on his muddy buddy.  What a good way to brighten up a very rainy day. We hit the wall of rain running on the way home,  but I would walk through rain any day for a peek at these little kids. 

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Pigs & Market

The three little pigs have arrived and have gone start to work. They will work for us for the next five months, rooting, digging, clearing and fertilizing the land. In exchange will we provide them with good fresh land to turn, produce, grains and a nice bed of straw and fresh clean water. After which they will feed our family, of four, and five other families for a year. Thank you pigs, while I was writing this they escaped and thanks to Beth for chasing them in from the road. Pigs are vey smart and will push soil on the electric line to short it out. They are back, for now. 

The Ducks, Lucien, the drake, R..J (the escape duck), Izzy and black duck. Have moved into the new chicken tractor for a few months. They seem happy with their new home, it took Lucien about two days to figure out that he could climb down the steps to the grass below. Balance is not his strong point. 

January 4th found me rushing to the Local FOOD Market. With Noah's work schedule changed, it's up to me to get their solo with the children in the morning, it was a rush and a scurry in the morning to get there early to set up (and of course I had to bake fresh muffins in the morning). As I turned the corner around 8 am this view changed my mood and my view of the day. It was beautiful and peaceful, thanks to Lyra and Morgan for waiting while I took a few quick photos and deep breathes. 

South End  Farm Carrots and leeks , Jill wouldn't let me buy all the carrots, I did get a bag which I ate with the children for breakfast the next day. So good to have fresh carrots, Morgan loves them. We also have a really yummy grape juice on tap, which I had to put a stop to a purple stained Lyra just helping her self every five minutes or so the first day. We now have juice in the morning and that's it for the day. Well for her at least, don't tell her that anyone is getting more. 

Ripple Rock Eggs, Edith's Sourdough Breads, Hewison's Walnuts. From The Farm Garlic, Organic Baking, Oatmeal Cookies,  Raspberry Oatmeal Buttermilk Muffins, Pesto Twists, Potato Bread and Noah's cutting old growth fir cutting boards.  Very happy with the January Table. 

The end of the day

The BBC Farm Series has come out with new series The Tutor Farm which makes from some good winter movie viewing. Lyra loves watching it, although I'll put a stop to it if she develops an accent or starting referring to us as Laypeople. This is a link to the wartime farm series, they also have the victorian age etc. Some good winter BBC. 
 http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01mmt8t