today on the farm

We are in full swing around here and are picking projects off the list one by one. But we're making progress! Last week spring hit us hard and we were overwhelmed. But on Saturday we sat down and revamped the master list, talked through the order that everything needs to be done, and got our heads around all that is ahead. And it's a lot. But we signed up for this! And we do love it. Especially all of the darling animals we love and enjoy. Today I decided to get my camera out and document much of the day. Here is what I saw:

Our laying hens have gone all World War Two on me. They are each digging a bunker and settling in for the day. It does look very comfortable, sort of their own tempurpedic hole. But watch your step on our farm...you may twist your ankle in a chicken bunker.

This is new and fun! We planted wheat and oats on Monday. And the third plot will be feed corn for our pigs next year. It's a learning venture like everything else with the plan to learn what we can this year and then see how we want to do it next year.

These two have been working hard together all week. Ivar has definitely grown into a serious helper and loves to be right by his dad's side. This is the pig pen we built this weekend. I've got more pics of this process to share in another post.

And there's Alden, happy as always, watching the sheep and keeping an eye on the rest of us working on the pig pen. He's a charming boy. And so, so agreeable.

 The sheep had to keep a close eye on the new digs for the pigs.

Ivar and Elsie have been playing Laura and Mary all week. Except it's actually 'Pa and Mary-who-can-still-see.' They play in their woods and make soup and food and go for "trips into town" by the well house. Today I saw them buying things while in town and I greeted them, "Hello Charles. Hello Mary, so good to see you." Elsie froze with wide eyes and shook her head, "please don't say that mom. It makes me feel weird inside." I said, "does it embarrass you?" And she said, "yes! It totally does!"

I was a little sad that I don't get to play along. So later I stopped by with a basket with a cloth that held chicken eggs. I told them I was a neighbor coming by with a gift. Elsie opened it and said, "I thought it was going to be a real snack. Go back and take the eggs out and put something in here we can really eat." So I guess that is how I'll get to be a part of this story line...

Today the broiler chicks moved out of the garage and out into the chicken tractor. If you could smell my garage. Yikes!

They Layers came to welcome the Broilers to the neighborhood. Or to tell them who runs this farm. Hard to say.

And finally we moved the pigs out into their new pen. They were a bit spooked to be out of the barn, and it took some serious coaxing to get them out, but all is well that ends well. As Rory said, "Our marriage has so many of these unique, shared experiences and they're all layered and compacted on top of each other. We are like steel-reinforced concrete or fiberglass...all of these things packed one on another. It's building one very strong foundation." And it is. We are in this together. It's a lot going on, but it's good fun. It feels full and right.

Now I'm off to bring more slops out to these guys and to feed Miracle his last bottle of the day. And then I am going to hit the hay.