Tag Archives: garden

As everyone knows, we sprang forward this weekend.  And it hurt.  But, that’s what happens when you’re still awake at two a.m., socializing and playing Settlers of Catan with friends (it’s quite possible we didn’t get to bed until around 5 this morning…….but if that were true I definitely wouldn’t admit it!).

The morning end of this change is not great; it means it’s a bit darker in the mornings for awhile.

On the evening end, though, it feels like we’ve won more weekend.  We can push back evening feeding an hour or two, making the overnight stretch between feedings shorter.

Despite our lack of a full night’s sleep, Paul found inspiration and energy to get outside and do some yard work (which is very, very sorely needed right now!), and Oona kept him busy playing with her in between chores.  Having the gift of  a very warm day certainly helped.

Tevye, the rooster.

Orzo and the other dogs were enjoying the sun and warmth as well.  He is turning out to be the same kind of perpetual happy that defines his half-sister, Sabine.

We even spied some daffodil bulbs starting to push up!  I got some ranunculus bulbs to plant in there this spring, and I submitted my order to Baker Creek for our gardens this spring.  We’re due for a decent gardening season, right???

Last year’s lambs have gotten big! Rosamund back there is almost as big as Cosmo now.

Darby.

Hopefully spring sticks around for awhile and summer doesn’t push in too soon or strong.

The weeds are out of hand this year.  I know I say that every year, but I had truthfully done ZERO outside to control them since spring.  For one, the weed whacker is broken.  Two, it’s either been mad rainy or mad hot.

This weekend, however, it has been clear and sunny and relatively cool, with a high of around 80.  Time for some weeding!

But wait!

The weed whacker is still broken!

And my pinky toe that I broke a few weeks ago (stupid, stupid.  Misjudged the bottom of the stairs around 2 in the morning and landed on my pinky toe.  It made a nice “crunch”) is still not quite healed.

How on earth to manage those pesky weeds??

Duh.

I brought up four goats: Milkshakes, Roquefort, Bertie and Sam.  We’re calling it their “work release” program.

They all love munching down those virginia creeper vines that make me so crazy.  In one weekend these four will rip out and eat all of that overgrowth that has been plaguing the front garden for months, and I won’t have to get sliced up by prickers or assaulted by spiders.

As for the back garden: there are still sweet potato vines that look like they may produce fruit, so I don’t want to throw goats or pigs in there quite yet.  For now I have put the ducks out there.  There’s plenty of forage in there for them and bugs and they shouldn’t be able to damage the sweet potatoes too much.

Win!

Well, it’s not oppressively sunny and brutal, but it’s pretty humid and yucky out.  The sheep aren’t doing too badly with it, but they’re still not totally comfortable.

I tried to do a little garden weeding and maintenance, but as you can see, it’s kind of a losing battle.

But the sunflowers are doing well anyway.  From what I can tell, the sweet potatoes seem to be thriving as well.  Hooray for small miracles!

Miss Adelaide is getting into the habit of getting stuck in the fence every morning.  Even though she has two giant tanks of fresh water easily accessible to her, she wants that water in the blue tub outside the fence.

Pretty much sums up goats.

Sweet Caramel.  Who is actually not so sweet anymore.  She’s decided she doesn’t like people.

The infamous Milkshakes.

Lovely Miss Hannah.

Darling Isobel.

Martin. As you can see, the Angora goats are looking forward to their fall shearing.

Georgia.

Well hello, there!

Cassie.

Alabama, hanging out in one of his favorite snoozin’ spots.

They are all ready for this wet, muddy summer to be over.  I can’t really blame them.  I’m kind of ready, too.  Their hooves grow ridiculously fast when it’s like this and it’s difficult to keep on top of when you don’t want to constantly round them up and stress them out in the heat.

Plus once it’s cooler and shade isn’t such an absolute necessity at all times, we can pen them into a smaller section and blanket the field with more grass seed.

For now let’s hope that what is left of summer doesn’t come back and smack with with any record heatwaves, shall we?