Uncommonly Cold Cackling

Kentucky is having winter lows of record and more snow than is usual for this region and time of year.  Of course, we are not the only state suffering the wrath of the polar vortex.  We generally expect ice storms in February that provide treacherous driving conditions.  What snow that generally falls before the February ice storms melts within 48 hours of its arrival.  A day of biting cold can happen; however, the odd bit about this polar vortex is the weather lingers.  The snow is hanging around, needs shoveled, but on the upside your snowman will last awhile.

Thankfully, the animals are doing quite well.  I was a bit concerned for the cattle.  Then, Richard reminded me that cattle are left out in Canada in temperatures of -40 and -60 C with no harm done.  My tendency to make every animal a pet of sorts must amuse him.  Long before humans decided to keep and tend animals, these beasts roamed the open land and did quite well without us.  My worry wart needs some 'Compound W' and I'll be fine!

Egg production is steadily increasing despite the harsh weather.  I am thankful that the temperatures have not hampered them.  In the off periods when Richard is unable to check, I collect eggs too.  To date, I have not been pecked.  Richard gets pecked quite often.  This has me wondering if I have a beginner's edge.  Could the big peck come soon and I'll need a Band-Aid?  I try to speak as softly as I can when I approach the nest box speaking words of love and concern before I place my hand under the hen.  Except for the odd one, they raise up for me to show their work (or lack thereof).  When I find no egg, I remove my hand and give her some peace.

The ewes are healthy.  Several resemble wheel barrows.  Number 94 is definitely having twins.  If not, we'll have a time extracting the two beach balls that she swallowed.  She's docile and loves to be petted.  In close competition for soppy pet like characteristics with number 75, I wonder how much of this 'petness' they'll retain when they become mothers.  A ewe can reject her lamb; though it seems unfathomable to me.  No one considers orphaned lambs really but I do hope that our flock is the mothering type.  It is no chore to bottle feed a baby lamb when they are the cutest creatures on Earth.  It's always best for the mother to accept them, of course.  I am praying that none are orphaned.

I hope that your world is warmer than ours tonight and tomorrow brings sunshine and happy thoughts.  In the coming weeks, I will be traveling.  Spring planning commences when I return.  Diagramming the garden for this season and future planning is one task that I will enjoy.  I will also post a list of what we've planted in the vegetable garden and plans for the flower garden when it is finalized.

Stay warm and purpose each day to find peace in your heart.

With Love from Brookhill

Mrs. B.

Waiting on Springtime

The woodland and pastures of Brookhill lie dormant waiting for that next burst of sunshine.  Walking the upper tract this morning, the tender green shoots below the bleached grass covering told of a long kept promise by the Creator.  Spring will come!  Life is just waiting for the okay from heaven.

This week, we said goodbye to our four roosters.  The hens seem much happier without them and they were not the roosters that we really wanted for breeding.  They went to a very good home.  Meanwhile, Richard and I are keeping our eyes peeled for a Colombian Wyandotte rooster.  If you know of anyone local who might have one, please drop a line to us.

The Colombian Wyandotte pullets that we got from a lovely couple in Harrodsburg are growing so fast!  This week, two tiny eggs appeared from them.  It is hard to believe they are coming into lay.  But...here they are giving us beautiful little pullet eggs that will become gorgeous large eggs before we know it.

The lake has a mottled glass block style surface this morning, evidence of thaw.  Feeding the fish is something Richard loves to do each morning.  When we can get a pole in the water, there will be catfish in the pan!  The lake at the bottom of the property has one distinguished resident:  an albino catfish that weighs around 15 pounds!  I've only seen the fish twice and was amazed at his size.

The weather is crisp and unforgiving cold but Spring is on its way.  My garden books are here.  More catalogs arrived today to entice me to plant a million lush posies about the farm.  My heirloom seed catalog is also here for vegetable garden planning.  A high functioning yet gorgeous garden is my goal.

Vegetable gardens are necessary but never pretty.  Most gardeners tell that it took about three years for them to get the look that they wanted.  Patience is not really a virtue of mine but the goal for year one is to have a decent outline to build upon year over year.  Pathways, raised bedding, and some containers may factor into the end design.  We were too late in the season for Fall planting but the portable greenhouse structure reserved for that will have hot house tomatoes and other heat loving veggies in it this year.  After that harvest is done, we will be busy putting together our Fall/Winter planting to harvest throughout the cold season.

A garden should work for the gardener through the years.  Don't stop gardening because you cannot bend any longer.  Bring the garden to you!  I will be using a few techniques to ensure that I can reach all my plants for many years while building something that also looks good in and out of season.  Plans from Spring 2014 extend to Spring 2015 with four season harvesting the end goal.  With any luck and a bit of sunshine, I should need very little from the market by summertime.

Do you have any great gardening ideas?  I would appreciate you posting them here.  I've always worked in other people's gardens.  Spring 2014 will be my very own and I'm anxious to get my hands in the dirt.

God bless!

Tina