"Nothing ever seems to go to plan"

Our new favourite quote from "Victorian Farm", as his 27 sheep are running away down the road...

Things are better now that the heat had abated a bit. G wants to have a war on smartweed this afternoon before we go to Princeton to pick out our new wethers, but his tractor is not starting.

 

Looks like my readership has taken a drop. Maybe I'm not reporting enough real calamity for people to be interested.

 

Nothing earth shattering today--Winston's lungs are clear and he had his last boosters today.  He had a bit of heat stress yesterday when we got home--so instead of doing a farm tour with our Vancouver guests I stood there hosing him until his breathing rate came down and his eyes lost that panicked look. When he starts searching my pockets for treats I know he's feeling better.

 

Millie and Petunia had a nice night in the basement the other hot night--but started to screech in the morning when the woke up and found themselves in unfamiliar surroundings, and heard Phoenix calling from outside.  I ran downstairs and as soon as they saw me they stopped screeching and watched me calmly, and spoke a little.  They know by now I am to be trusted. After all they've been with us for four years now. Perfect little hens. Part of the original backyard crew from Victoria. So funny to think we had no idea how four little backyard hens would shape our futures.

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Sheep are feeling better, but G is angry at them since they broke down a few of his tree protectors and ate the precious little saplings....$$$$ walnut trees.

 

Grasses have slowed down in their growth rate, so I'm unsure as to when we'll get a second cut of hay.  I will send some of our crop into the lab for testing, and check it's nutritional value.  It's only about 2$ a sample.  We will need to source some legume hay for the sheep for the winter.  In the meantime, we plan to overseed some areas of pastures with our alfalfa seed, and see what takes.  We already have a nice diverse blend of grasses, but a little extra help for the soil and some extra protein value in the hay from alfalfa won't hurt.  We are still looking long term, and figuring how best to heal the land. It's been a bit abused, and I am proud of what we have accomplished already.

 

I think I'm a bit shattered from the heat this week, and don't feel like I'm fully back into routines yet.  I need to ride and train both of the horses, work on some more enrichment for the banty crews who are still in small enclosures, make time to handle them, continue on some gardening projects, some art projects left unfinished, and start some new ones.  I'm pretty bad when it comes to my art/crafty projects--I'm great at starting when it's novel and exciting, then have trouble finishing them.  My feather wreath is going to look great on our wall--maybe I'll tackle that first.

 

Flan will be introduced to Wedge's remaining ladies.  His spur pedicure went very well with that tungsten carbide bit I found.  I hope he'll be nice to them.  There is always a little bit of male dominance and hierarchy adjustment in the hens--which isn't always very nice.  But in the end Mr. Flan is a very chivalrous roo and loves to provide for his ladies.  While I hand grazed Winston this morning in an area I needed mowed I had a chance to watch Flan and his current four girls.  They've been locked in their drylot enclosure for a few weeks so the Wookie crew could use his shady grassy run during the heatwave, so he and his hens are craving greens. He reached through the chicken wire fencing and picked leaves, one by one and brought them to his ladies and dropped them on the ground, calling softly.

 

That's all for now I guess. Always more, but only have a few hours before we need to get on the road to Windland Flats.  Still  hoping for rain, and to feel like I'm back on track. We looked at properties on Lasqueti Island again on MLS.  Some promising options...I wonder where we'll be in five  years? In three?