Whine and Roses

"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times" or as I will put it "Whine and Roses".
"Whine": I hurt my knee a few weeks back and can't find the time to rest it.
"Roses" last Monday I took a field trip with Paula and Paula. We seem to have an abundance of Paula's in our neighborhood. We went to Nevada City CA to visit a nursery "Peaceful Valley Nursery" and I found some organic seed for the garden this summer. Good way to rest a knee!

Whine: I have at least 20 more sheep than I feel comfortable taking care of this year. My total count is around 40. Cleaning the barn has been the pits this winter. Wish I had a farm hand.

"Roses": I found my farm hand a few weeks back a DR Power Wagon! I've been spreading the mountains of barn litter out on our other piece of land. I fill feed sacks with the moist litter, and stand them up in the wagon. Nine sacks fit in the wagon which is about twice as much bedding as it would hold by just filling it to the top of the wooden racks. You can't see it but the wagon has an engine in the front. Say "Power Wagon". After it's full I start up the engine and out the barn to other side of the property we go. The wagon does the heavy work and I walk behind. It's a marvelous invention!
"Whine": Since our warm dry February it has been raining, snowing and in between we have had some fierce winds.  Then this morning I woke up to two more inches of snow. Yuck

"Roses": the fierce winds do wonders when I spread barn litter. Just dump the bag and kick the litter to the next county. Today's snow melted fast and made a perfect play ground for two puppy's! In the picture above Casey is mouth fighting with Simon and in a flash she has jumped on his head and over she goes to the other side.

Simon and Casey play endlessly. This morning they had a "Bully Stick" to run with and play catch me if you can.

On March 24th Simon will be 10 months old and Casey will be 3 months old. What a difference in size 7 months makes when your a growing Gampr.

Another rose is that under the snow is green grass. In the next few weeks I can let the sheep out on the mountain to graze. Just in time for lambing!

Casey is such a beautiful puppy!

She walks the fence line of the sheep and gives them her little "wiggle butt" action telling them she would love to be their friend. I do take her in with the sheep but she's still not safe to stay on her own. I have a few killer sheep and goats but soon they will get the message that Casey is a friend.

More "Roses" the chickens are now laying eggs full speed. I even was able to sell a dozen to Sharon the other day. Life really is good!

Fat sheep and fat goats means it's time to kid and lamb. I also have a date to shear the sheep next week end.
 Biggify this picture above. Nut Megan the goat could just be carrying a litter of kids in that belly.

Soon they will be out grazing and I can stop my whining about the price of hay this time of year.