serafina and company

we have four ducklings
serafina is a bit......ahem.............. protective

protective duck....+ me needing to FEED and WATER them.....= me covered in duck poop

not the way i wanted to end my gardening day the other day
oye

and it was exceptionally smelly poop.......and i know from poop
bright GREEN too

ok so we had this storm the other night..... and bernie ( you remember him right...mr. no more animals.....and mr. get rid of the ducks???)

ran out in the storm to make sure falstaff was ok....as falstaff is in the outer pen....since he tried to kill the babies and rape serafina....
the outer pen doesn't have a roof.... just a small panel and then top flight netting....

all that happened was....his food got really really wet......

my tomatoes flopped over......
and falstaff spent the night in his crate
oye

I tied up the tomatoes...... there are a LOT of baby fruits on them....
i am looking forward to black tomato sauce.....
and canning hopefully 500 pounds of fruits......
after last years abysmal season.....
the peppers aren't doing as well

meanwhile badger the lamb is getting big..... he is hearty and healthy and quite a handful at times
and he doesn't always listen like he should
but he's growing on us

bernie loves him and wishes we could keep him

we can't.....he's going to be a HUGE sheepie when he's done growing

oye

vi

where do i begin.......to tell the story.......

let's see
we'll start with the new lamb.....
there is a bfl lamb on the floor next to me
he doesn't have a name yet....he was born monday morning
and after three hours of life and motherly attention.....
he was rejected
so he came here to be bottle fed
he's doing well and in spite of the fact that he is a bit confused about his ahem.....
species.......( that's really easy to do around here)
i think he will be a fine and dandy fiber animals....... ( is it only me who hears george carlin saying.....fine......and DANDY)

ok
i have put a giant white stuffed cat in with him....so he isn't alone.....he sleeps with it.....and he trys to nurse off it....and me....and the pen......and georgette up the hill......and bernie.....AND his bottle.....
this boy is one CONfused little guy

i took him up the hill to georgette's fenced and private yard to gambol and frolic.... as lambs DO.......
yes we have pictures.......forthcoming

in duckie news....
we have a hatch......but a dead duckling
i am really upset about that...they pipped last night and probably died shortly after
bernie has to help me remove it from the nest box
it isn't in the next....but beside it
and we don't want it drawing anything


speaking of bernie
he's got a new job........as a shop manager of a fleet of ambulances, and a couple of techs
it is a wonderful job...much much more money..... better benefits
he will love what he is doing....i know him.....he is going to love this
and best of all...... salary......so more money AND he actually gets it!
closer to home a bit as well......by 60 miles a day


ok in cat news...... they are not impressed by this lamb
they have retreated to the boudoir
and have come downstairs only to express their displeasure by pissing behind the front door

so far......only the hens love me ( and the lamb but he's too young and dumb to know anything)......they each laid an eggie today....so i got 4


ok......now a few other odds and ends....
i still can't knit.....my hands are pretty swollen
however i was able to can a bit
i got 14 quarts of beef in red wine with mushrooms done..... 7 with homemade red wine from a friend of bernies.....and 7 with commercial wine
needless to say....
i intend on making wine this summer
ha
and i don't DRINK!
hahahahaha
i want red for cooking and white to make vinegar with....

meanwhile the garden is still not finished planted...i got pumpkins to go in
but we got small green tomatoes......bean flowers
mesclun........... and peas
( and the constant slug battle over my beloved peppers)
ok so i think
THAT is all the news......

stay tuned for pictures
and if i remember any more news


vi