Here Chick, Chick, Chick, Chick

The new chicks have arrived!!!!

They are all snug and well in their new little house with heat lamps for warmth.

This breed of chickens is known as Black Sex Link. What that means is that you can determine the sex of the chick when it hatches just by its color.

If you will notice, there is one little yellow chick in the group. Since she is the only one we can tell apart, she gets a name. Her name is Wessy Bird, named affectionately after my dad since he takes care of all of the chickens. :)

Spring Planting

The girls came out yesterday and we had a "Planting Party". The gardens were finally dry enough to till for the final time and be able to start setting plants.

We managed to get around 2,500 plants in yesterday and Chrys and I were able to get another approximate 1,200 plants in today. We really need for the rain we are suppose to get tonight and tomorrow to hold off for a few more days, but...........this old body is SORE and TIRED.........I think I might be able to handle a rain day. :)


The last picture of a full greenhouse this year.
See all of the Snow Peas to the far left. MMMMM.....I can taste them already!

We were to tired to take pictures of the garden when we finished last night, but I got to it this morning after I finished milking. We will post pictures every week or two so that you can watch the gardens grow too.

A Snowy Morning...With A SURPRISE!

There was a time when I LOVED snow. Although I still think it is pretty to look at, it sure does make life on the farm so much more difficult. In fact, I am not a fan of cold weather (never have been). When the weather is cold and cold and snowy, then everything is harder. Not only do you have to make sure that all of the critters are well taken care of, even if you are freezing to death, but even just the layers of clothes that you put on to try to stay warm make every move feel like you are climbing a mountain. I much prefer summer, and shorts and flip flops. :)

Below are just a few photos from this morning at the farm and the surprise that we received with the first snow of 2012.


Shasta (the LGD) and Helga together watching the snow from the open doorway.

A HUGE pile of goats huddled together in the middle of the barn. This was actually kind of strange that the majority of the girls were huddled together like this. First of all, it wasn't that cold in there and second of all, usually when they huddle together they will do it in small groups rather than in one BIG group like this.

Jynger, sitting in the middle of the group, looks completely miserable. She "sat" like this for about 5 minutes or so. Poor thing. Just a few more weeks and her babies will be born then she can regain her slim and trim figure and be a whole lot more comfortable.

The plants in the greenhouse this morning. They are looking SO good. On the far right where it looks like just dirt in the pots we have snow peas coming up. MMMMM.......can't wait for a good stir fry. Who am I kidding? I like to just sit out in the garden and "graze" on snow peas! :) Notice the snow on the top of the greenhouse.

View looking out the south door of the greenhouse this morning at one of the gardens. It's kind of hard to believe that if we get enough drying in the gardens this week to till again that we will begin planting this next weekend.

And NOW>>>>>>>>>>For the SURPRISE>>>>>>>>>>>>

Little miss Mattie (one of the Saanen does that we purchased a few weeks ago) kidded this morning with a big healthy single GIRL!!!!!!! I brought her in to the house and finished cleaning her up and got her warm and dry then fed her some colostrum (boy can she eat!) then I took her back out to the barn so that her mom can take care of her for a couple of days. I have no idea what to name her, but Snow keeps coming into my mind. I guess because (1) she is white and (2) she was born on the first snow day of the year. :)