Busy busy June

I have a hard time reconciling that it's almost the middle of June.  I have so many updates and photos to share, but I have so much to do on the farm today!  I didn't go to TRC today since I had another biopsy this week, and I almost tore my sutures trying to swat a mosquito yesterday.  So that leaves me trying to find the tasks around the farm to do that are the least strenous.  The doctor told me not to lift anything over ten pounds. That made me laugh! Even a forkful of manure is more than ten pounds.  You can't take care of land and animals just by looking at them. 

But speaking of looking at them, this month has been great for just taking the important moments to look around and enjoy what we have built here.  Sometimes the happiness that wells up literally brings tears to my eyes. (well so does the insane pollen) Oakley and Winny have been doing ok with the high pollen counts, but less ok with the ticks. They both had their feet done, I had my farrier help me fit Winny's bridle better, he has a new saddle pad, so all I need to do is make the time to get on him!  Sheesh.

We've moved the sheep through several rotations, and either the one tomorrow or three days afterward will finally bring them back to the barn, where they can enjoy the fan on hot days, and I can spend more time with them.  They haven't been back there for several weeks.  Henry has had eye problems twice now, but luckily has allowed me to treat him without restraint.  The ticks and mosquitoes have been hard on them.  Last year poor Lacey's eyes were completely swollen up from all of the bites.  This year it's Starburst who's being targeted, by ticks.  She comes to me and presents her itchy spots so I can search through her fleece and find the damn things while she shivers and twitches.  She was on the way to giving herself a hotspot (potential spot for fly strike if I hadn't found it) from rubbing on a tree branch or licking, trying to get a tick that had settled in under her right axial region (arm pit).  

So we've had a few failures, but many successes this spring.  I won't dwell on the failures, they are just things we've learned. There is too much good to be grateful for.

Many of my seeds did not start, or the starts failed to thrive.  We are both convinced that it's the company we bought them from, or maybe the seeds were irradiated when they were shipped over the border.  Too bad. It's the indigo and valerian I'm most disappointed about.  I really wanted to try making our own wool dyes...

But that being said, I have my hands full already, so maybe it's a good thing.  I am potting up plants every day now, and still have more to do, or finally find a place for in the gardens.  I can't wait to have everything established finally so I can devote more time to the horses and some art projects I'm keen on.  Maybe next year I will stick with easy things, plant marigolds and nasturtiums and be done with it.  But I still want to try making my own dyes....G doesn't really get concerned about these things, he is a fan of trying things out to see what works and what you like.  You will never know unless you try.  So I'm trying to adopt that mindset as well.  

Ok, I'm running out of time.  Here's a run down of some of the projects:

The horse paddock has been somewhat leveled, expanded, sand added, all we need is the lumber and the time to complete the expansion. 

The ponds are filling nicely with a combination of ground seep in grotto pond, and the gutter capture system we put in for backyard pond, and we add a bit from the well on hot days.  The frogs have taken over, we no longer have an algae issue now that we added an aerator system, and this morning I startled a painted turtle and she jumped in.  I couldn't be happier.  Build it, and they will come.  One of the funniest things to watch is when the guineas trot by the pond edge in single file, and the frogs on the banks jump into the pond one after the other, literally one every second.  We are still excluding the ducks, especially after we witness the first frog murder......I know it's going to happen, but until we get the pond properly filled and the algae under control so it's healthy for them we will keep them out.  On the hot days they are just as keen to nap under the elderberry trees, and have awful duck sex in the tubs I fill for them. 

I'm starting on another herb garden project, before I've finished the last one. Typical.  I need more trellis panels for the first project and haven't been able to bring myself to make the trip and take the time to get them.

We have so much goodness coming out of the garden already it's literally too much for just the two of us.  I had a chat with my friends back home about their food stand, is it worth the effort, what sort of produce sells etc.  Good food for thought.  I will have to decide for next year whether I want to put the effort into that, or spend more time on learning to preserve food for ourselves, or finally getting into a farmer's market since I have so much yarn to sell.  It's really too bad that the market I contacted didn't get back to me.  Typical Minnesotan I say.  

Princey eating the ash tree.  For some reason it only seems to be the three wethers who will go bipedal to get the branches.  The ewes give up when they've eaten anything hanging low.

Well I managed to start a bunch of cold hardy lavender at least.
 Will likely still have to bed them down with hay bales this winter, and hope they survive.

Backyard pond, a few weeks ago.  Getting there!

Love this tool!

Poor Henry with his sore eye

Cuddles with the lonely boys under the shady pine.

Attaboy sleepy bear

The haze from Saskatchewan forest fires made our skies look orange and the sun red.  Hops growing up lines in front of the chook palace, hopefully it will give a good amount of shade to the poor beasts this summer.  It's too hot here!

Last night, at grotto pond.  I flushed a pair of wood ducks by accident, and stood here watched an eastern kingbird hunt insects and watch me from his perch on the electric fence.

Well, many duties await.  It's another hot one out there, so it's the perfect time to do some potting up in the cool garage, listen to some permaculture voices podcasts, and continue to not take any of this for granted.