The Homestone

Sunday, March 25, 2007

Three pies worth!

Our blackbirds.
Enough for at least three pies! :)
Their numbers have swelled in the last few days. Their song echos around the meadow. We counted more than seventy red winged blackbirds this afternoon! They decorate the view out our kitchen window and grace our trees with their beautiful flashes of colour!

Saturday, March 24, 2007

Moose the lamb

Our newest and last lamb of the year just a couple of hours old here ~ we have named this little guy ' Moose' ! He is a big lamb; long legged and long bodied. That's a portrait of his mom below. Her name is Snowball and Moose is her first lamb. It was a difficult birth for her but she's doing beautifully now and is proving to be an awesome mom! Moose is finding his legs and learning how to keep his big head up. It's been snowing the last few days. All three lambs and their moms are still in their comfy lambing apartments till it's a bit more spring like outdoors. Soon they'll be bounding about out on fresh spring grass and as Matthew; one of our wood ring folks said " ...they'll be making the place look like an Easter greeting card come to life!" :) It's lunch time and we're just warming up one of our favourites ~ homemade (of course) split pea soup. mmmm.

Saturday, March 17, 2007

St Pat's Day.

St Patrick's Day on the meadow.
Red winged black birds singing high atop the old spruce trees at the main gate.
Coyote wakes up from his afternoon siesta in the middle of the open meadow and the moose pay no attention.
Our resident cow and her two calves grazed for a couple of hours on the ridge across the creek. They are so comfortable with us; it's a lovely thing. We hanker for a telephoto lens so that we can really get close up and personal.
And indoors, our kitchen table tulips reach full bloom. Another spectacular day.

Saturday, March 10, 2007

Brand new lambs!

"Shorts" (or Shorty for short :) our first spring lamb ~ was born March 8th at 9:30pm. This little ram lamb promises to be an entertaining addition to our wee flock. He and 'the Mrs' are doing just fine.
Then, last night at 11:15pm Missy delivered a ewe lamb. It was not an easy or quick delivery but the gentle shepherd was on hand to assist and in the end, all was well.
The weather has turned cold again today but the past few days of warm winds has melted a good deal of snow. Last summers dried grasses are poking up here and there and the meadow 'lake' that appears every spring is beginning to form at the low spots. Soon we'll be watching for the Trumpeter Swans and Sandhill Cranes on their spring migrations.

Thursday, March 01, 2007

Our waning winter.

After quite an impressive blast of winter last week, the last few days have brought warm winds and rain resulting in some tremendous puddles around the place. Small ponds really :)
This is the driveway yesterday ~ the steep hill that runs from the main house up to the 8km of road that David maintains. This 8km road connects to the main logging road that takes us into town.
Our creek ~ showing signs of spring, and this morning our first Red winged Blackbird returned. Such a welcome sight and sound!