It is a delight to be the spouse of a hard working, joy-filled, dedicated man.



Thursday, February 25, 2010

Oh Peas, Another Baby Announcement!

These are barely the fetal stage! Aren't they cute though, sitting in the furrow waiting to be covered. One of five different shelling peas: Canoe, Wando, Green Arrow, Alaska, Maestro.

Oh, but this is really what you came for isn't it Dear Reader? This year's first lambs hit the ground as we went out to plant peas after a quick day in town to get supplies and order a pallet of lime.
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But the lambs needed some quiet time with mom to make sure they had a chance to find the faucets on their own, that is always the best way. More success with less mess.

So we went out and planted peas, and once again Lanny's eyes were bigger than her beds and so a couple more needed to be quickly cleared out, mineraled, limed, raked out and planted. Easy to do when the beds were basically already there, just a few fall and winter weeds needed go.

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My goal for the year, no tiller until we get to the market garden. Hard to keep Mr. Tillerman from reving up the Troy Builts at every chance.
My new tool. Check that. My new favorite tool, a telescoping (I didn't even know it did that before I dubbed it favorite) cultivator with hoe, it is bright red and has a hanging loop. Life is good. All the peas got in. Just in the nick of time.
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Tomorrow is in a barren sign, one of the barren-est, good for weeding tough weeds, which we will be doing, in between checking on lambs and watching for more.

So after the last pea was planted, and before we lost all the light, we all went out to bring the mom and babies in. Poor mom, she didn't have a name, just one of Bet's type sheep, a good one but not a kissy face fit-and-show sheepy sheep.
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But I insisted that a good mom couldn't remain just a number. Since she was a type sheep with Lucy, the fit-and-show sheep, that last year Bet showed, Bet has dubbed her, Ethel!


So Ethel, formerly just a number, has entered the realm of "she's a keeper". Two great lambs both up and doing well. There was a little concern that maybe the ewe lamb hadn't nursed but Anna quickly made sure it was totally hooked up. (I think Anna may actually be done with wanting bottle lambs, hurray we all shout!)


In the dim light of evening we all head back to the barn after a chock a block full and hard workin' day.


Ethel-Mom and babies are safely in the barn with her pick of stalls, well not really, but she could have. Everything looks good so we head in for split pea soup. And no, I didn't plan on eating pea soup on pea planting day, but what the heck, good coincidence eh?!
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Good night Dear Reader, I am one tuckered momma myself and so I am off to bed so that I can wake up in the middle of the night and take a lamb-spotting shift, or at the very least roll over and ask Dirt to.
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Lots to talk about soon, lots in my brain while out gardenin'.

10 comments:

KathyB. said...

Yay! Anna must be so happy, she has been longing for new woolly babies! And congrats on baby peas too...do you think it might snow now?

Anonymous said...

A very busy but good day I would say Lanny. Love your new tool! Ethel and her babies are so sweet. I like the sound of pea soup for supper! Hope you get lots of rest and enjoy the weekend.

Bangchik and Kakdah said...

I love the look of the place... wide, spacious and airy! .. Mine is still little. ~bangchik

Susie said...

Those baby lambs are the cutest Lanny!

Empress Bee (of the high sea) said...

oh ethel is a keeper for sure!!! my grandma (the yankee) always had lambs in the kitchen in feb. and march. and bottles round the clock!!! she named every sheep. had over two hundred of 'em and they were all her babies.

smiles, bee
xoxoxoxoxoxoxo

Lisa @ Life with 4! said...

The lambs are adorable! Tonight the girls and I will be bottle feeding 2 calves. The neighbors, who pasture their cows right next to our house, had a little bull (Bubba)whose Momma died. and the little female (Kimber) couldn't latch on to nurse and after 3 days of waiting to see if she'd get it, they had to take her up to the house. Poor thing, she is so skinny. But they are filling her full of elecrolytes and milk.
They told the girls to come up and feed them tonight. Kaycie and Lindsey are so excited.
The babies were sucking our fingers right off our hands looking for food last night. Lindsey wasn't so sure about that.

We planted some broccoli, lettuce, chives and basil in the indoor trays last week. This morning we noticed the broccoli and a couple lettuce sprouts pushing their way through the soil. It's so exciting to see things grow and know that it will feed the family soon!

I wish I could have some of that split pea soup.. yum. I need to make up a pot of that soon.

This Is My Blog - fishing guy said...

Lanny: Wonderful post with great photos. We are getting blasted with snow again. Everything is covered with white. I shoveled the driveway twice. No thought of peas here. Loved your planting photo.

Connie said...

More snow here today too. Loved seeing the lambs. Oh my! Wonderful sweetness! I enjoyed seeing the peas all lined up in the row there. Took me back to when I was little and my parents planted a garden every year. :D

Eggs In My Pocket said...

Hope the peas do well! I will be planting some things in a week or two. We are supposed to get snow Monday. Love the baby lambs! blessings,Kathleen

LindaSue said...

Now THAT is the baby announcement I was seeking! Quite lovely little ones and Ethel appears to be a good mama. I'm wanting one more girl baby this year so I can name her Talitha - Aramaic for little girl - just one of those quirks I have. LOVE the telescoping gardening tool - excellent idea. You are truly working the farm big time this year - will we see a cleverly designed road side stand to sell produce???