Sunday Walkabout 5-5

from our front porch...
this is the MOST popular picture I ever posted to Facebook

This week was one of extremes...

It was either dark and dreary and WET...really wet!

Or dazzlingly bright and "breezy".

Here on the hill, we just laugh whenever the forecasters call for breezy conditions.  That just means the wind is going to blow even more than usual!

We moved chickens this week...as a matter of fact...we moved chickens almost every day...and, not just in their portable field pen.

Broiler batch #2 had to move from the brooder to the field pen.  I got the fun job of catching them inside the brooder.  The Boss got the even “funner” job of cleaning the brooder. (sorry, no pics of that!)

Batch # 3 arrived at the Post Office and was tucked into the brooder to eat and grow for a couple of weeks.

We weren’t done with chickens yet!  The oldest of the hens needed to be re-homed. 

Josh and Betsy were heading to a big poultry sale outside of Richmond, and were going to act as our sales agents.  So in true farm family fashion…we had a chicken catchin’ and the old hens headed out on a roadtrip.

Hey, guys, I just remembered.  The chicken catching job is supposed to include dessert! (sorry…next time)

The first of May is always weaning day here on the hill.  The sheep were all herded into the barn and sorted out.  After a dose of de-wormer, the ewes headed out back and the lambs headed out front for the summer season.

  *A word about de-wormer…with the incredibly damp conditions, internal parasites can become a real problem; living on the lambs’ blood and sucking the nutrition that the lambs need to grow. The de-wormer gets rid of the parasites, and keeps the lambs from certain death. It is in no way harmful to humans.*

The amazing snail population is indicative of the moisture level

The overwhelming noise and general mayhem of weaning quickly subsided and all went back to grazing on the lush spring grass.

With all the moisture, you could almost watch the plants growing. 

The potatoes are looking great, despite the fact that we have had patchy frost for the past three nights. 

great onion plants
(and great weeds)

Look at this onion…this year's crop is doing very well.  They say that the perfect onion has 13 leaves. Each leaf represents a ring.  Most of the onion plants have between 5 and 7 leaves right now and more are coming. The onion crop will not be ready to harvest until late June.  Maybe they’ll all be PERFECT!

Since it was too wet to work outside, the Boss got hoophouse #1 all tidy and weed-free.  This week’s job…plant all the seedling that are ready for the newly cleared spaces….and on to hoophouse #2.

Checking on the lambs, I found that the autumn olive trees are blooming profusely.

Even though they are scrub trees (no good for anything) they smell delightful! 

As evidence that the season is getting a very late start, look at the oak leaves…they’re still very tiny and furry.  But the peaches, pears, apples and plum trees are all showing little fruits.

Proof positive that Spring is here…I watched them haying on the other side of Mbrook.  This is one of my favorite sights!

The first week of May is also Mbrook days, complete with Fireman's Parade and chicken barb-b-que.  Every year I have been asked to make a cake…this is the sixteenth homemade chocolate cake I have baked for them.  I plan on always doing this….because…well, read I Love Mbrook.

Chore time Saturday morning before Market
The lights are from the brooder and barn

It was very dark and very cold heading to the Market.  It seems like I have been saying that for a LONG time this season.  But, the sun did shine.  It was a good day.

I keep hoping to get Market pictures
...maybe next week

That was our week.  Hope you had a good one.  Thanks for visiting!

Happy Sunday!