The calm before the snow

It's another gorgeous November weekend.  Sunny, breezy, temperatures in the teens (C).  It's still a little boggling that we have tomatoes in the greenhouse, raspberries, and all the kale, chard, chicory, and arugula we'd need for weeks and weeks.  The squash, well that might be a bit of a problem...We have 25 butternut, and twenty something marina di chioggia (the big green gnarly pumpkin-like ones).  G did the math and it appears that we should be eating squash at least three days a week, and our supply will carry us right through spring.

The days are so short right now, which is great for spinning, and relaxing around the wood stove on the few nights it's been cold enough to have a fire. But we both are loving the fall weather and would just like to be outside with our happy beasts for more hours per day.  

The pond rose by almost two feet after the rain storm this week

I have to get into the hives again today to check honey stores and decide whether to give hive 1 a few frames of honey from hive 2, or an entire box (if hive two has enough). They will also get their winter covers on.  I've stack a bunch of hay bales to the north and west of them to provide more of a wind break.  This might be the last day I will see the bees flying at all.  It's incredible that they are still collecting pollen, especially from our brilliant orange calendulas that keep flowering. 

Lunch break for the hard-working man

We had a major rain event this past week, and the forecast is calling for three days of rain/sleet/snow right before I go home to BC for a visit.  Hopefully it won't be too mucky and awful for G to enjoy spending a few more days on the farm instead of going to work in the office in the city. 

Oakley's abcess appeared to resolve with a few more days and bandages, and he was shod this week with pads to protect his soles, so that cored out spot won't be exposed to muck and gunk and all the nasty invading bacteria that a soggy paddock can introduce through the tiniest crack.  We still have one more rotation for them to graze up in the hay field, so even if it rains for three days we can send them up there on high ground during the day.  The sheep paddock is also pretty boggy because it's on flatter ground and doesn't drain as well.  On the nice days they go up the hill and lounge under the cedar and jack pine, chew cud and watch all of our activities.  It will definitely be time to catch them all and check for hoof rot when I get back from my trip.  

If this winter is going to be mild and wet, we will likely try to keep some fencing up so they can get to high ground up under their favourite trees, instead of staying in their normal winter paddock all of the time (the one pictured below)

G is making great progress on the new winter run/greenhouse attached to the chook palace.  Photos from earlier this week:

Well I'd better get out there.  I can hear the feral budgie screeching and swearing.  He must be hungry, or just enjoying bossing the sparrows around.  He's lucky to have them, since I really do believe they have helped him survive this long. 

With cold and rainy weather approaching, I hope to have many evenings by the fire, and start reading one of my new books.  Thanks for the great present Mom!

There is always so much to learn!