nature has its own calenders

Spring is a couple of days late

my recycled christmas tree, how is yours doing?     

        To me nothing signals spring’s arrival but peepers and I was able to hear them for the first time this year the night before last well after official first day of spring, which was 3-20-2014. A really gorgeous sunset and no camera afforded me no opportunity to do nothing but assure you it was a pallet of reds and oranges swept across the sky assuring all was right as red at night would be a sailor’s delight.

       Mudder the wandering heifer awoke at rather late 11 in the am and sauntered towards the house yesterday to see if I was still alive, she seeming a bit wobbly and half awake, and could be due to the lap of luxury afforded to her on  the bed of wasted hay she sleeps on. This heifer is still eats her feed as if something is going to take it yet is the only one here. I feed her 2 x a day now as the weather is better and she can run faster and get farther away if given the opportunity. Now she has to decide if she wants to run off or stay close and eat grain. She has been doing well at coming when I call though, and seems to be better at staying home. Although the day we took possession of the car and went for a ride and was gone for really a short time and I never even told Babe, my dog,  we were going instead just took off, only to come home to find Mudder just taking off, tearing up the hayfield and yard as she was out . Took me an hour of chasing her and yelling at my non- cow dog Babe to get her back in, and managed to just before dark. . Mudder may be here when I have my open house, and you may even be able to pet her. Will check and see if she has me penciled in on that date. . I think she thinks of herself as a rock star and just needs go on tour. She could tell spring was her and was all in a rambunctious mood last night kicking up her heels and running around spending that youth and shedding pounds I wish she wouldn’t, as it costs to put them on there. Oh well for now don’t think she is going anywhere, course I haven’t asked her yet, or bothered to make it to the barn so you never know.

        The ducks have been evicted from the greenhouse as well the chickens. I grabbed a ten foot pole literally and drove my ducks out of the greenhouse as they were reluctant to leave. I imagine the shepherds crook for sheep and goats, and long poles to herd geese and ducks have served farmers well over the years. It saved me a few steps and old mama duck had a few choice words for me, young greenie the male duck(?) , didn’t take well either to being evicted from the glimmering white plastic palace that served them well when the winter howled. The pond was open and the greenhouse smelled of poultry, time to regain some control over the animal kingdom.

       The ducks took to the water and soon was as happy as anything as they frolicked in the water and mama duck took greenie on a walkabout of his or her new digs. Now it was the chickens turn and I tried to herd them and quickly gave up that idea as chickens don’t take to anything, but also literally running around like chickens with their heads cutoff, darting here and there in no apparent order. I decided to wait till dark and when they roost, grab them then move them. They were upset as they were moved from their fan roost up high in the peak of the greenhouse where there is a fan housing and offers them a sense of security as they were safe from all predators and where they felt secure at night only to return to the barn or did they. No they decided to roost on a workbench I just brought in a couple of days ago on my back porch where I come in daily. They are nice though as they manage to leave me presents daily in the form of unused birdseed they conveniently leave on the table, and have been thinking of turning the spoiled workbench into a coop for them and moving out into yard away from the house. Anyhow there are just two of them.

        I have been planting and getting ready for my open house in over a month from now, and just getting things straightened from a hard winter. Saw my first dandelion yesterday and have only saw random shoots of green as we still need more sun. My greenhouse will soar to 110 though and is quite nice to be in lately as it warms a lot quicker. Soon I will have blooms in there also. Everything alive in there is much better and bug free as I guarantee the chickens and ducks disposed of anything that might crawl or creep in there. Natural pest control. That is good. Will have my bees soon and hopefully in time for a good season of blooms as I have buckwheat seed I plan on planting, enough to do an acre and also will have bee flowers in I plan on adding to the buckwheat and then I plant it around the garage and let the bees go to town. Should look nice around the buildings and will reduce the need to weed eat. A twofer. Love twofer’s. no weed eating and bee food , and it might look pretty also as the flowers are black-eyed Susan’s and Echinacea, and others as well the buckwheat itself has a flower or multiple flower heads and blooms and bees love it . Doubt if it will make a difference by open house but by this summer should be in bloom and I will let you know how this project goes. Beautify , provide food for wildlife and reduce my maintenance on landscaping with natural  products. Less energy wasted. Should be good if it all works. Come and see how it goes, or follow on here as I will update as I go along.