Wednesday, April 27, 2011

Moving On Up

The kids moved the chicks from their brooder/tractor into the big girl yard.  They were thrilled!  And a little intimidated.  Those big hens and roosters and turkeys can be a bit much when you're only six inches tall.  It was like watching preschoolers walk onto a middle-school playground during lunch recess.  Cedar and Sequoia made sure that they were safe though.  They got the heat lamp all set up for the babes and showed them repeatedly where the food and water is located in their new diggs.  They happily ran all over the place all afternoon and evening, occasionally getting herded around by a rooster.  They were so overjoyed with all the new space, in fact, that they didn't want to go into the coop to roost once it started getting dark out.  Steve had to go out and shuffle the little feather balls into the coop and under the heat lamp.  They are all resting there peacefully now.

Things are continuing to spring on ahead here despite the very wet and cold weather we are having.  Last week was gorgeous.  Lots of sunshine and blue sky.  However, now we are back to the typical temperate rainforest springtime weather.  Sunny weather does not usually settle in here until about the last week in June or first week of July.  Until then, one can count on cool with a chance of rain just about every day.  Yesterday we got an amazing rainbow out of the deal though.  It was a rainbow just like this one that made me first fall in love with this little piece of land six years ago....




More homestead goodness...

the kids moved compost to their spiral garden

sowing seeds

transplanting herbs - this echinacea will be happy here, I think

hello Bloody Dock
forget-me-not

red flowering currant - a favorite native

asian pear blossoms opening

oh, how I wish I could eat these guys!
not for another year...

And, wow!  I can't wait to harvest these guys as well!

first morels of the season in our garden

Sequoia found them while hunting for slugs!
Steve had to go to Seattle yesterday to speak in front of the National Organic Standards Board.  He was making a plea for stronger rules on truth in labeling regarding organic vs non-organic products.  The kids and I decided to tag along and make a day of it in the city.  We spent the afternoon at the Seattle Aquarium with Grandma Linda.  I forgot my camera in the car, so not too many good photos to share.  I will, however, share this one with you because I am totally smitten.


Meet Barney.  He is a Northern Fur Seal who is 26 years old and is so used to working with his humans that he gets his teeth brushed with an electric toothbrush every day.  His playmate "Q", was also very sweet, but very shy.  But not Barney.  He and I made eyes at each other for a long time.  The kids literally had to drag me away from Barney.  I'll say it again... I was totally smitten.

1 comment:

  1. There is lots of life flowing all over your beautiful homestead. Stellar photos. It is hard to be patient with those asparagus eh? But your patience will only benefit you.
    It is both sad and embarrasing to think that even in the 21st century we still hunt seals for fur.

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