Better Homes and Gardens.

Our front might not look like much

but the garden is looking beautiful this year

Our fig tree froze, but given enough time it finally came back. Unfortunately we lost years of growth, but it will get there one day! 

 And the green beans look lovely. We've already had quite a few beans this year.

 Life is good on the farm

Perfect front porch sitting. 

  

Enjoy the weather out there, the real heat is coming!

-M

Post

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 Time off = fence work

 Today Fern and Phlox got to explore their new paddock for the first time. Just in case they got loose I wanted to make sure they would come to me so they have been staying in the barn with Rose, my older Pygmy. They don't seem too sure about this new place. 

Rose took a walk to check out the work on the fence line...

It took most of the day to clear off the fence. I bush-hogged a line close to it and then cut through 4ft of honeysuckle to snip the barbed wire off the posts. Now I just have to take the bush-hog off to attach the auger arm so I can life the t-posts and go back to bush-hog it all down. Thankfully my brother is up to helping out, the tractor is a lot easier when you don't have to hop off every few seconds to tie/untie the post.

The girls are out helping with the weeding too. They don't seem too concerned with the actual fence line, though.

And lastly, we did some log riding. I pulled a telephone pole out of our stash to use for one of the gate posts. I wish the video would load. 

-M

Visitors

I had a visitor while working in the office today...

-M

Sad News

Just had to post, last week our pump for the irrigation on the pumpkins wasn't working. I had resigned to hauling water but today I went out and there was no sign of the pumpkins...

Deer/bunny, whatever you may be, I greatly dislike you.

-M

Shearing

May is our shearing month at work, so we've finished up and I just had to share some pictures of all the beautiful fiber!

Waiting for their turn

It warms my heart to see fleece lined up all in a row like this... 

This is Priscilla just before her clip. Her hair is so soft and long. It was actually fine enough that we had to be very careful with the clippers because it was having trouble getting through. I can't wait to play with it!

 Ditto with Elvis's fiber. Look at that poof! this is his 3rd cutting (as a three year old since he had so much he had to be cut as a 6month old!). It is still super fine and gorgeous. Even the third choice cuts are lovely to feel.

One of our Southdowns, Martha, waiting her turn. I didn't grab any good pics of the Shetlands this year.

Oh bother!

The end!

-M

New Arrival!

They're here!! It may have been a 24+hr drive back but we all made it safe and sound. The newbies are Nettle and Hawthorn, from MackBrin Farm in NY, and Fern and Phlox from Val d'Or SCI Goats in MD.

Here's little Nettle with her momma at MackBrin (taken by the breeder before I bought her. She now has no horns due to an unfortunate accident. But she is still cute as a button.) We are working on hand feeding and getting used to handling. Leash training will be awful fun!

When I arrived, the committee was there to meet me.

She had some adorable quadruplets out of the same mom as Hawthorn, the buck I brought home.  

This is Chile, Hawthorns dad. Look at those horns!

They also raise a variety of chickens and bunnies. The chicken coop was really clever with plastic trays that hung so they could easily be popped out and cleaned. I love the roost on the front without a front wall to make cleaning even easier. 

Over in Maryland, Thunder and Cognac (I don't remember who was who) were gorgeous! They are the fathers to Fern and Phlox. 

Check out the "Does" page on our website for pictures of the girls and Hawthorn!

-M

NY or Bust!

I'm on my way to NY/MD to get the new girls! I left late yesterday and made it to Knoxville. It'll be a long drive today, I have to get all the way to NY and through NYC before I stop so I can be at the farm early tomorrow.

Glow is not a very good co-pilot. Her cute little sleepy face doesn't help at all.

We stopped for Chick-fil-a before we got out of the South and she wasn't very pleased that I wouldn't share with her. So sorry!!

-M