Going Rogue

Ok... so my animals have turned on me and they are going rogue.  Remember the other day when I showed you the lovely sheet mulching in the garden using the chicken bedding/manure?  Well, the ladies are apparently trying to take it back!  I'm serious!  Each day, a few mischievous hens make a break for it and sneak their way into the garden to scratch the daylights out of those lovely beds.  Mulching scattered everywhere... everywhere that is except for where it's supposed to be!  Come on ladies, just let it go.  I want your straw and poop now.

This afternoon, I'm squatting in the raspberries (again) clearing a spot to transplant some new shoots and my dog strolls by.  He skirts past me and cruises right into the main veggie garden, where he knows he's not allowed.  I tell him to vamoose... "Out!" I say.  He casually glances over his shoulder at me as he continues his jaunt into the garden.  "Out of the garden!" I holler again.  One more dismissive glance tells me, basically, "Whatever lady."  He then trots into the hoop house, takes one more look at me, turns his back end in my general direction, and drops a dog bomb!  I kid you not!  The ultimate in the world of doggie defiance, a canine coup if you will.  Why do these animals thwart me?

Animal antics aside, my day was great!  Actually, both yesterday and today were wonderful.   Believe it or not folks, the sun actually came out!  Wahoo!  I love the sun.

Yesterday involved a spur-of-the-moment scavenger hunt.  I made and hid clever little clues all over the homestead for the kids to find, each one leading to the next.  They loved it and had a blast.  I adore sweaty, rosy-faced, happy kids.  I really do.  Here are a couple of yesterday's clues.  Leave me a comment with your best guess.

1) "You can call me Spotty.  You can call me Dotty.  But now I need to use the outdoor _______."

2) "They are so delicious and sweet,
      they makes me wiggle my feet.
      I begin to dance me a jig
      whenever I eats me a _____!"

Where would you look?

Here are some photos from today around here.  Enjoy!

happy raspberries
tomorrow they get a thick layer of maple chips mixed with mushroom spawn

rhubarb

Comfrey so determined to grow that it actually busted through the sheet mulching cardboard

Healthy comfrey that we love - a wonderful garden and compost helper

Hyacinth opening and smelling so sweet!

the new path I've been working on in the kids' spiral garden

the same path on the other side of the maple - plus bleeding heart!

gooseberries busting out of dormancy!

the bees are flying

fiddleheads!

the alder grove that will soon become a new garden

another path I've been working on leading to the orchard cottage
it'll be an office & craft space once completed

yet another path in progress - leading to the sauna
I love having huge chip piles ready for use!
just beyond the trees behind the sauna is where the new sheep pasture will be going

the babes are growing up!
they are enjoying their new tractor until they're ready to join the big birds

As you can see, spring is definitely in the air and there are lots of reminders everywhere.  I can't wait to get back out there again tomorrow....  Have a great weekend!