It is upon us.

Kidding season has started. Rosita is in the barn as we type in labor. Doesn't seem like she will kidd for a while, no rush to go watch yet. But since the last entry I have gotten silage several times, Grain about a dozen times, a load of hay from New York, gone visiting and finally finished the farm Web-site (at least for now www.soeltlfarm.com).

Kidding season has not started well. Two deliveries two weeks too soon left one Doe dead along with all three of her kidds. Another Doe alive but not her kidds. Not the best start to say the least.

Found my daughter a different pony but now my window to pick him up has closed. He (of course)was free for the use but he is in Maine. I will work in getting him in a few weeks.

The hay from New York is everything that people say it is. Very green and not very stalky even for the first cutting. Sure there is higher protein in the first cut but if they don't eat it what good is it? We have had a thaw and the cow pen is covered in uneaten hay. What a waste. The corn the girls are getting is not the best either so milk production is lower. The ducks and poultry are happy since there are a lot of non-digested corn kennels available to them. The wild turkey will be ecstatic. The veal calves are getting bigger and my daughters new 4-H project calf is due to be weaned. That will be one unhappy calf watching the others suck down three gallons of milk a day.

I will head out and look for some new veal calves to start. I have quite a list of client already. Finding decent calves however is proving difficult.

Four pigs have gone in to harvest and another seven have been started. Chicks and ducklings are due this week to start off our growing season. Many are already sold.

It is raining currently and I am going to grab my seed catalog and place my order. This week I will prune the fruit trees and bushes. I have to lay out all the pens and figure out how to concrete the breeding pens. I must look for two decent Solar Fencers. Our terrain is so rocky our ground rods are not effective and the fence doesn't shock the critters as it should. Having a personal fencer for several pens will help the rowdy critters maintain sanity, or not. Maybe I will just make them more difficult to contain.

In "summer"y

Well now that the summer is winding down it is time to reflect on all that has happened. Reflection about the summer while one tries to harvest and preserve the bounties of a garden that I have not more than just walked through all summer (I know there are edible weeds but really........) I know I planted seeds somewhere. I I mean Canna's that are eight feet tall, pig weed and goose foot at least four feet tall, look at that grass.....where is the machette?

Beside preperation for health papers for so many animals and birds so they can go to fairs, almost all the bird leg bands fall off to prevent them from being shown all summer (one fair will not pay for the testing done, which is all we have left.)and I spent a considerable amount of time trying to get the vet back to reband:

My beautiful daughter breaks a vertebre in her neck in an on farm accident (dealing with the insurance company),
600 bales of hay stored to the loft (do you know the price of hay?),
8 agrucultural fairs (lots of new friends and contacts and not enought premium money to pay for the fuel to get back and forth),
60 square of shingles on the roof and filling a dumpster (Do you remember how hot it was this summer?),
My son's apendectomy (surprise didn't see that coming either!),
five batches of chickens raised and sold (business holding on barely),
six pigs the same ("At The Farm Dinners" a worthy cause and tasty too, Google it, for it is good for local farmers including me),
four veal calves (there is a real shortage of farm calves who would have thought),
one heifer and several goats to auction (culling time for those who don't produce enough to pay for their grain),
the new bee hives giving me greif (one hive decided to swam (as in leave)not once but twice, ungrateful creatures....)
and finally the decision to homeschool both children...........

Yes, it took a considerable amount of stamina to get through. Keeping the farm running throughout the whole process was trying to say the least. My poor home has suffered the most. Thank goodness that it has a new roof and isn't complaining too much. So perhaps there was some moments of sheer exhaustion (What day is it? Where am I supposed to be? What do you mean it's raining again!).

Time for me? You must be joking.........

New Month...

I sure hope the summer months hold less excitment than the spring.

Well the garden has been planted and I will continue to plant for the next month and a half. I stagger crops such as beans, lettuce, spinich and the bracias to make sure of a long harvest season.

I have just realized that I have forgotten to plant some onions. No it's not too late and I will run out to the grain store and pick up some sets and in the ground they will go. Along side the peas, tomatoes and anything else that doesn't mind that strong vegetable who doesn't take well to weeding so mulch we must.

All the plants are doing well. I have a feeling that the hay season will be difficult this year with unsettled weather making it difficult to dry the grasses. Damp hay will start to decompose and I don't want to burn down the barn we have yet to finish and have inspected.

The goats are milking well and the goat kidds have found homes and some are left to replace our older milkers. Veal and chickens have been harvested and new ones are also doing well. Wait things are going too smoothly.........when will the other shoe drop? Or have both shoes dropped and I just didn't notice number two!?

Well out to water the garden. Enough to you.

Loses,,,,,,,,

It doesn't matter how much time we spend with anyone or anything most of them touch out lives one way or another. One of the two calves I brought home is destined to die. It saddens me but at least he was comfortable and gently cared for. It bothers me when they don't get much of a chance or start in life. Now I think of the big picture and am grateful for all I have.

Another busy day. Animal care, run for silage at the Rhode Island boarder, back home to go to the Mass boarder for the truck acquisition. What bent me out of shape over the transaction is that when we first went to see the vehicle it was basically empty of gas. I had to run back to get the truck off the books for end of month for the dealer and I reminded them again to put some fuel in it before we came to pick it up. Not only was there no gas in it but it literally hadn't moved since we looked at it. It had the exact mileage it had when we left it the first time. They probably cleaned it outside and never did a last check up. Needless to say it was not a new vehicle (2003)so they didn't really give a hoot about the lack of gas or my point about the mileage. Never will ever deal with them or recommend them either.

So back home. Bees are busy, one hive definitely stronger than the other. Calf still headed to the hole at the end of his down hill slide. My tax guy is finally looking over the figures I sent him over five weeks ago. Yes I am shopping for a new accountant. He always tries to make it my fault that it takes him so long. Five weeks? Not likely me!

Only a couple of things to do tomorrow and I hope I have time to work in the garden. I am getting cabin fever for sure. Maybe I will plant some peas this week. Lettuce, spinach, garlic and the such.

Yup, spring is in the air. The compost needs a turnin.......