14 Baby Chicks!!!!

We knew the hen was sitting on a bunch of eggs near our compost pile as she almost got her head chopped off by the weed eater a few weeks ago. Had Mario not been so vigilant and seen her sitting,  motionless, under a patch of weeds he could have whacked her. Instead he fixed up her area and we all have been waiting and wondering when she would proudly show up with her young chicks. 

Well, yesterday was the day. I went out to check and there they all were. I couldn't count all the chicks but today I did and it looks like there are 14 of them!!!! How in the world will she be able to cover that many chicks when they start to get bigger? We'll find out. She's a fierce mother, having tried to attack me yesterday when I put some baby chick food out in front of her brood. Today they are all safe in our little baby chick area; safe from hawks for the time being.

In the general gloominess of the bad weather and the growing season getting off to a very slow start, it's hopeful to see the new brood. At the same time we hope we don't have another hidden nest of 14 more somewhere in the yard!!!

 

Sick of the Cold/ Freezing Weather

I have to get used to this blogging. It's been more than a month since my blogging debut! 

I am so sick of this cold, freezing weather. Up until today, we had been awakened  almost daily at around 3AM by  the wind machines that surround our house.  That doesn't bother me; I can go right back to sleep. It's the thought of all of our beautiful fruits and vegetables being subject to this weather. We should have had strawberries weeks ago but still are waiting for the great onslaught of rich, ripe fruit. 

Up until the tomatoes and summer squash were planted last week, the susceptible fruits and vegetables: the baby berries and asparagus tips kept freezing. This was a loss we could take as it wasn't worth the cost of putting the sprinklers on and we knew they would eventually come back when the weather improved. Last week the tomatoes and summer squash had to be transplanted and so, with the freezing temperatures, Wayne has been getting up at 3AM to go to the field, turn on the sprinklers and protect the baby plants. It seems to have worked. 

Here's a picture of a small tomato plant with ice crystals on it. 

Here I am...My first blog. I've been told by many people that I should be blogging my weekly farm news so that's why I am doing this. It may turn into a daily thing depending on the time involved. 

We will all pitch in...and I'll get some pictures in, once I learn how to do that, so we can show all of you who can't get out to the farm what's going on. We may even get a web-cam!! 

Modern!

So, today my bee partner and friend, Lisa, and I went and got more equipment for our bees. We only have one surviving  hive, having lost two over the winter. We're not sure what happened: maybe colony collapse syndrome which has affected so many bees or maybe they got too cold or maybe they didn't have enough food to get through the winter. We're just finishing our first year, so we're learning. We're hoping our surviving colony is strong enough to eventually divide. 

We're going to check on them tomorrow if the weather cooperates. I'll post the results.

Meanwhile over at the field,  the strawberries look gorgeous. They are all weeded and there are lots of flowers. We're hoping to have berries within the next few weeks. 

We have asparagus for the weekend. Of course I'll give a complete list before Friday. 

I'm signing off for now.