Oops...

There's one thing we can always count on with Jonathan...He's always willing to take the blame for any mishaps that might occur. Maybe it's because he usually has a part in them! But I have to 'fess up...I am the one who got the fencing caught up in the rototiller. The goal was to get the garden planted (all except for the plants in the greenhouse) and the area behind the chicken house needed tilling. Everything was going fine...after I ran out of gas and Wayne had to run and get more...and after I couldn't get it started again when I put it in neutral to get some sticks out of the way...like I said, everything was going fine. One of the chickens was trying so-o-o hard to get her head through the fence openings to get some of the tasty worms in the newly tilled soil that I thought I could get a bit closer to the fence line for her. I was wrong. By the time I got the machine shut off, it was quite a tangled mess. I sheepishly came around from the back of the chicken house and told Wayne that I had 'messed up big time.' He laughed when he saw what I had done...I am so-o-o blessed to have such a patient husband! In the meantime, the chickens had discovered their chance to escape into the newly tilled garden. Rachael, Wayne and I got the chickens back inside the fence and Wayne cut the fence so we could pull the rototiller back and re-fence the chicken yard. The chickens benefitted by getting a new 'layout' to their yard--complete with fresh grass and bugs. I got back to my tilling and this is the end result of a day's work in the garden. The corn is planted and the other raised beds are waiting for the plants in the greenhouse. Oh yes, the rototiller is fine...though that bit of fencing will never be the same.

Field 'work'

While the guys were busy working, the animals looked on. The alpacas have adjusted to their new haircuts and spent most of the day basking in the sunshine.

When we purchased this play yard for Jonathan five years ago I never imagined that we would use if for rabbits! It has become quite handy for giving the 'guys' a place to hang out in the nice weather. We used the 'alpaca pool' as a shade from the sun and they happily nibbled on the lawn and dug a few holes.

When the rain returned the boys reluctantly returned to their 'bunny barn' cages and the alpacas decided that they'd continue to stay in the field and soak up some 'liquid sunshine'.

A Busy Day

This a.m. the sun started breaking through the clouds and encouraged the guys to get outside and do a couple of the tasks on our "to do" list...

Last winter a strong wind tour off some of the siding on the end of the garage. Today the rest of the siding was taken off and newer boards put up so the replacement siding would have something to be fastened to. We also had some storm windows that used to be on our front porch that Wayne thought would be a good addition to the end wall (it's south facing). As Matt and Nathanial worked the wind picked up and the black clouds started filling the sky. They pounded in the last board as the first sprinkles started and the 3 storm windows were screwed in place just as the rain picked up. There's no "after" picture yet, but you can be sure it looked a lot better than it did when the guys first started.

Marc worked in the garden. He helped fill in the raised beds that he, Rachael, and Wayne put together Thursday.

And here's the latest picture of 'the flock'...currently 37 chicks. They can get quite noisy in the mudroom. Wayne and I are looking forward to them 'graduating' to the workshop...hopefully within the week the brooder can be moved. Jonathan says they are whistling. He also calls them "chicken children".

Shearing Day!!

Our first shearing on the farm has been an adventure...a woman was supposed to add us to a list of farms that are serviced by a shearing team out of Ohio. They do many of the alpaca farms in the area as they make the circuit around the state. The team is highly recommended and we were assured that they would make our first shearing experience a pleasant experience...We never got on the list and I just found out about that a few weeks ago. A scramble to locate another shearer began. Many calls, many dead ends, and much frustration. Wayne took over the search and finally located a llama owner/shearer in Schoharie (about 45 minutes away). He was willing to come and was scheduled to do the shearing last Tuesday. Then it rained. We rescheduled to Friday...and showers developed. The shearer put us in the schedule for today, the weather said, "partly to mostly sunny"...I was hanging clothes on the line this a.m. and looked to the northwest where big, gray clouds were forming. "Oh no!" We hurriedly erected a tarp over the barn area so we'd have a semi-dry place to shear if it started raining. I tried ignoring the drops that hit while we fought against the wind to tie down the tarp without stressing the animals who were watching anxiously through the barn door.

The power of prayer was once again proven...by the time the shearer arrived the clouds had passed and the sun was shining brightly. We had a refreshing breeze keeping us cool as we learned the fine art of putting an alpaca in restraints and holding him still while the shearer did his thing. So here they are...the before...the during...and the after.

I'm so-o-o thankful we have a year to pass before we get to experience this adventure again! I think they are, too.

First of the new chicks

The first chicks arrived on the farm yesterday. These are Araucana chicks that Marc is raising for the woman who is selling him the goats. She doesn't have success with chicks so he's raising them until they are a couple months old. We ordered 10, we got 8, and she's getting 6. The other flock Marc is raising for her should arrive on June 2nd.

Matt and Marc also ordered some for their own endeavors...Matt for pastured poultry/eggs and Marc for additions to his laying flock. His egg business has grown so much that he needs more ladies providing eggs.

Here's Jonathan reading on the back porch and Ian wandering around the back yard checking out how things are progressing on the farm. He looks like a little old man wandering around with his hands in his pockets.