Its Mothers Day

Here it is Mothers Day. Already. I'm afraid that this is going to be one of those years when spring lasts about 4 days.

After so much cold rain, cloudy, gloomy days, the calendar said it was spring, but it didn't feel like it. It even frosted pretty hard on Easter Morning, and I was shivering with the apricot tree. But, there is good news. We have been working frantically in the yard and garden the last few days. The grass is growing. The ewes have been on pasture for a week or so. The yard has been mowed twice. (which is good news for the rams and yearling ewes, who get the clippings). All has been fertilized in hopes of even faster growth. (the bank account is hoping for a good grass season with the recent price of corn and hay).

The garden is showing signs of green in the form of onion tops, lettuce, spinach, potatoes, and peas (which something/body keeps nibbling off!). The first harvest of asparagus and rhubarb has been savored. The first plantings of corn, melons, and beans are in the ground, and will soon be joined by the lanky tomatoes, cucumbers and herbs that are crowded under the grow light in the sun room. And most promising are the fragile white blooms that have emerged on the pear and apple trees, and less obvious huddled under the strawberry leaves. And yes, despite the late frosts, there will be apricots.

The flocks outside the library window are pink and purple, (the creeping kind), and the peony buds are poking up from the leafy mounds. time to pause for another deep breath, and take in the moment before it passes.

Since it is Mothers Day, I could launch into an expose' about motherhood, but it has probably all been said before. And, some things told are never heard. They will experience it for themselves, and only then will they understand.

Ruby's lamb didn't make it. But others did. At last count, the live lamb count was somewhere around 75. With one last holdout yet to lamb. Yes, there is always one.

Last week, we sent the last 3 fat lambs to market. And while the truck was going, we sent 2 of the yearling black rams and grandpa Polypay with them. They didn't make us rich, but brought enough. And thats 6 less mouths to feed. And, I have the fleece.

I need to take pictures of the lambs and blooms, but I have been doing some spring house cleaning (literally), and just havent had the time. Plus, the wind has been blowing so hard some days the sheep won't even come out from behind the barn. But for this post, I have to include a Dolly update. I finally took a picture of her wound, closed up almost, but before the hair grew back to cover it. That was a couple weeks ago, and now she has been declared healed and covered enough that she can once again go naked! We were worried about the scar getting sun burned, but that seems to be solved. With luck, the memory for all of us will fade along with the wicked scar. Not likely to be forgotten though.

On to new and ongoing projects. Painting basement and nursery. Mowing and felting and sewing, and sowing. Here's hoping the fruit sets for all of you.