My last post was three months ago. It was all about winter, and how long it was taking for spring to arrive. I told myself I wouldn’t post again until spring was here. Now it is May, and it is about time I brought you all up to date.
Only a month ago, April 16th, it still looked like this here.
Not much spring to write about. The garden waited patiently.
Then it happened…spring.
The birds came back, red-winged and yellow-headed blackbirds.
An eagle watched us on our walk.
We were walking on bare ground again!
The garden beckoned.
The baby bellies grew big.
The wild flowers burst into colour.
In the last week the rhubarb tripled in size, and the gooseberry and black currant bushes are filling out.
Redford the rooster and his flock of ladies are enjoying the warm weather and scratching in the bare ground.
Jenny had her first calf…we called him Jake.
Then Olivia had her fifth calf…we called him Blackjack. Olivia has always had chocolate-brown calves, just like her. Her boys have always been called Jack. This year, for some unknown reason, her calf is black. Hence the name!
Yesterday Cotton decided to have her lambs. It was an interesting time. All my sheep have delivered their lambs on their own with no real problem. I noticed Cotton seemed to be taking longer than normal, and struggling a bit. Fortunately I have a neighbour/friend who used to raise sheep in New Zealand. A quick call and he was pulling in to the driveway. We headed back to the pen and we were just in time to see Cotton deliver a little boy…backwards! It was a breach birth, but she managed to do it on her own. We pulled up some lawn chairs and watched her clean and bond with the little fellow. It wasn’t long before he had had a drink and was settling down for a nap. Good thing too, because then Cotton proceeded to give birth to another little boy…another backwards delivery! 24 hours later and Mom and both boys are doing just fine.
Now we watch and wait for the next two ewes to lamb. Poor PJ looks like she could pop.
Hopefully she won’t have to wait too long. I will keep you posted!
So spring is here, about time too.
morrisbrookfarm 