Tuesday, 3 May 2016

My Favourite Things

I don't think I can even explain how much I am enjoying this time of year.

Yesterday Matt was home and we just had a good old farm work day. The sun was shining and the sky was a brilliant blue. All the early spring browns have changed to bright greens that are so vibrant I feel like I have to take a minute in the mornings just to soak it all in. The cows and calves were out on spring grass, the pigs rooting a wallow to cool down in, and cheerful chickens getting into mischief everywhere you look. The kids were delighted to be finding the first toads of spring, the baby cooing at the breeze rustling the new leaves. I kept looking around and saying to Matt that things don't get any better than this.

I didn't take any pictures yesterday. I had my hands plenty full with farm work and farm children, but it was almost kind of nice in away. Instead of trying to get a picture of Matt getting slimed and sprayed by his ridiculous bull playing with the hose, I could simply laugh at them.

But I do have pictures of this last month on the farm, so I will share some of those.


Here are some pictures of Tex and Tansy wrestling.


Tansy harasses him until he finally plays with her. He acts all grumpy but I know he likes it just as much as she does.




When I can see them out my window, I take way too many pictures of them.



The cranes came back a couple weeks ago and treated us to quite the ballet! I just love to watch them dancing together, its like they defy gravity in the most graceful way possible!


Spot nose calved! And its a heifer! We call her Cinnamon.


This was on her first morning. She had trouble remembering how to lie down and was falling asleep standing up or bowing down with her rump in the air.


We have eggs in the incubator. We are less than a week away from them hatching!


The reason why Tex has shedded out way quicker than the others. He has a devoted little farm girl who dotes on him.


Milo is still plushy soft


The kids and I had a great day moving these piggies out into the world.


It was the first day where I have been working on the farm and would honestly have not been able to do things with out their help. It was really wonderful. We loaded the pigs into a dog kennel on a wagon and pulled them over to their new spot. This picture is of the little farmers untangling and pulling the grass around the hotline while I made repairs.


Little farm boy worked the stall door so I could come in and out with my arms full of pig. Little farm girl worked the kennel door and held the wagon still when I had to lift the kennel up onto it. I really couldn't have done it without their help!


These little guys are way heavier than they looked. I could only physically lift the two little runty ones. The rest I had to rely on their agreeable natures to load them up and thankfully they are just as nice as their momma.



This was fun to watch. Sunny went after a bird. The bird was not concerned and Sunny realized his mistake shorty...


And along with my favourite time of year comes my favourite activity!


I think its little farm girl's favourite activity too...


This girl is shedding out beautifully. I have never been partial to palominos, but I can really see their appeal. She is starting to just gleam like a brand new penny (well, if they made pennys anymore).


And this little guy is stealing my heart a bit at a time. He is such a quiet little guy but as I work with him more and more he is really starting to come out of his shell. I could hardly work Tansy a few days ago because he was following me everywhere and squeezing between me and her to claim her scratches.


I am feeling especially excited today because I had my first ride on Tansy this morning!
I have been waiting for a long time for my riding ring to be dry enough to work her there, and today was finally the day! Its quite the invigorating feeling climbing on for the first time! I wish I could start this morning again and do it all over...


These two do everything together, they share every flake of hay that they eat. And check out Milo's dashing double mane. Sigh...


And here is my view as I go about my farm chores. The littlest farmer falls asleep as soon as we go out and nestles in for the ride. I feel like a marsupial farm wife sometimes.


And just because they are so cute, here are some of our little calves.


They are growing well and are as frisky as can be. I think they are enjoying this time of year just as much as we are!

Monday, 4 April 2016

Dreams Realized

There is no doubt that spring is here!
The other day was 18C and snow was disappearing as fast as it could go!


Spring brings such wonderful changes! Brand new life and the glorious feeling of sun on skin that has been bundled up for so long!


We are just delighting in watching the season change, and savoring the great anticipation of our favourite summertime activities!


Winter coats are shedding out


The landscape has come alive with birds and insects everywhere you look


Spring also brings a lot of water around here! We refer to this time of year as "the ugly time" and for a good reason too!


Matt had the neat idea of retaking this same picture of little farm Boy and 12A (or Baldie as the little farmers call him) at the end of the summer to see how much they have grown.


I am thrilled to be out playing with ponies once again! I had been toying with them just in a small area of the hay barn for the last few months.


Little farm girl and I took Tex for the first ride of the year and it was glorious to be back in the saddle again!


We are now 7/8th done our calving. We are just waiting on our favourite cow #9 (or Spot-nose) and our tall Simmental cross cow to calve.


The rest of the babies look excellent! I absolutely love to be able to watch them play from my kitchen window.


We go out and cow check frequently, a lot more frequently than we need to!


We train our cows to lie in numerical order...


Matt is starting to feel like a real farmer now




Little farmers watching Matt inject and tag new calves on a spring evening


Number 1l's heifer calf gets a shot of Selenium and vitamin A,E and D.




Little farmers find hundreds of ways to keep entertained


Having these cows has been something Matt has wanted since he was really little. He is loving it more than he even  realized he would!



It comes very naturally to him too


Little bulls sparring. Oh, they make me laugh!


Especially when their mothers come in bellowing and break up the fight!


These calves are either playing or sleeping. It looks like it would be a lot of fun to be a calf


We also attended our first bull sale (quite an experience!) and came home with this brute!


He is really well bred, out of a bull called Economy known for calving ease, and a maternal line bred for excellent mothering ability and milk. He is pretty much exactly what we wanted as far as his Expected Progeny Differences go, and he should throw some excellent calves for us next year!



Watch out Sunny!


And its not just Matt who is realizing his dreams! I have tried with my last couple horses to teach a nice sit and I haven't been able to get one. I have been playing with this for years. I don't know if its because he is a flexible little weanling, but it sure came easily to Milo!


If I am asking him to do something more difficult, he just goes and sits himself down instead. I don't mind, its pretty cute!