...snow, wind, rain, repeat.

I walked back to the woods yesterday, but not into the woods - there is a lot of snow in there. It was sad thinking that the lovely, big scenic girls wouldn't be in the pasture this year. Some of the farmers that we didn't know who bought a cow or two at the auction said they had watched our cows over the years out there on the pastures and hoped they'd get a chance to have a couple someday. It made Stan feel pretty good! There will be burgeoning heifers and some steers and a couple of little bulls getting bigger. We hope the bulls go to local farmers. The steers will go for dinner and the heifers will be sold off as they become springers.

here's where we came from:
The thread "March, dare we hope for warmer weather?" in Farming forum

Kathleen, your walk was bittersweet. The cows had been a part of your life for so long. I even get sad feelings when I look out over our pasture and the neighbor's fields and realize that after 40 years, there will be no sheep on them any more.

Our weather is doing what weather in the spring does, changing from day to day. Warm, then cold again, windy, and now today, rain showers and possibly snow showers are in the forecast. Some field work has begun around us, plus irrigation water is feeding sprinkler systems. The irrigation season will be really short this year, as it depends on snow melt, and there is not much snow in the mountains. Our irrigation district has no reservoir.

I have been digging surviving clumps of garlic, separating and replanting them, trying to salvage some of each of the varieties I planted in 2013 and thought had all frozen out. What has sprouted up this year has survived 2 winters without mulch or snow cover, and a hot, dry season without irrigation. I have money and work invested in it, so I am giving it another chance to do something. It won't do much this year, but I will tend it, dig and dry the bulbs, separate and replant the larger ones this fall, and mulch them! With care, in a couple of years, I might have something that was worth it.

A neighbor has ducklings.

New life and flowers sure signs of spring.

Life will be less work without the cows but you will always have the memories!

The SU and I have a job feeding calves for the neighbor just a mile down the road. He has 24 in crates that I have to feed, and he is checking the outside ones to make sure everyone has feed, etc. We started yesterday morning and tomorrow morning will be the last. It only takes us about 45 minutes, so it's not bad at all. He pays $25.00/feeding. Easy money.

The crocus are out in full force here also.


Here is Lily my dog in the terraces garden with the crocus blooming.

Here is the garden without the dog!

Happy Easter.

The little crocus and miniature Dutch iris are out here, with the snowdrops and the Lenton rose is starting to put up bulbs, now that it's Easter. there are little flurries in the air, and for some reason a snow plow just went by. They were never here when we had a foot of snow in the road, but it's a holiday, so let's get all the overtime we can! I know, that was bad, but yeesh!

Tomorrow is Stan's birthday, so we're having Easter/birthday dinner here. I made a lasagna yesterday that's ready to go in later. The cheesecake is in the oven. I hope it's cool by 2, but there's only so much one person can do! Lol, but I did make this yesterday when a friend came over to make some cyanoprints and some dye prints. This is a dye print.

The dye print is beautiful!

It may be snowing there, but here your roses are starting to bloom. Do you recognize her?

Happy Easter and Happy Birthday too!

Gads, I thought I was going to have a dead calf this morning when I went to the farm. One was in really bad shape last night; I had to use the esophageal feeder on it, he was all laid out and not looking long for this world. We put a calf blanket on him and I gave him some of the drug that the owner told me to use if anything needed it. He had shown no signs of impending illness yesterday morning, took his bottle good, as he had been. This morning when I went in, here he was standing up. Not looking like he was going to whip his weight in wildcats, but living and breathing. Well, after all, this IS the day of resurrection, right??? Guess he should call him Lazarus. LOL The owner was there this morning, he came to the barn as I was finishing. I told him what I had done, and that I had planned on giving him a half a dose of the drug I had given last night, but he said he would take care of it. I had to bag feed him this morning too, as he had no interest in the bottle, but at least he was still among the living. Other than that, it went fine, no other problems and the owner was glad that he could take the family away for a couple of days. He told me "I didn't even think about the stuff here at home". I was glad to hear that. I guess I do have a bit of experience! And I'm NOT afraid to make decisions, even if it is someone else's stuff. After all, isn't that what they're paying us for? To take care of things???

You did good and yes, it is so nice the owner did not need to even think about it while away!

Lazarus lives! Great Resurrection Day story, Anna. And more importantly, Jesus has risen and He lives! This is the day that gives Christians hope! Bunnies and eggs are fun, but they aren't the real story!

It's snowing here this morning. The ground is too warm for it to stick, so we are getting poor man's fertilizer!

Porkpal, she looks lovely. That's the one that I'm still not sure about.

She is forming part of a rather wild rose "hedge" along the fence line of our driveway. She is a very happy rose; thank you for sharing her with me.

I'm dealing with wild roses that have grown into a jungle along the fence. Some are white and double, others are yellow on the inside of the petals and orange on the outside. They look wonderful when they bloom, but are a real pain to prune. Many of the canes are dead, and have been for years. By the time I quit today I thought that if I were on blood thinners, I would need a transfusion! While I was doing that, a neighbor moved a herd of cows along our road. Yep, spring has come, and now we will have many herds traveling along our roads, and even over the freeway overpasses, to get to greener pastures!

I can't imagine a herd of cows going by the roads around here!

You did good pruning those roses. I was pruning my own roses but they are garden roses that I have planted here. I still get scratched up!

Somebody's yearling (beef) came to visit last night, apparently alone, and made a trip through my flower beds thankfully only doing very minimal damage!

MaryE said:Somebody's yearling (beef) came to visit last night, apparently alone, and made a trip through my flower beds thankfully only doing very minimal damage!

Stray cows. Humm better than stray goats?

Ah, the onset of spring..............the beasts getting out and taking a turn through the yard. And ALWAYS when it's wet. The better to leave ginormous holes from their feet!!!!!

AnnaZ said:Ah, the onset of spring..............the beasts getting out and taking a turn through the yard. And ALWAYS when it's wet. The better to leave ginormous holes from their feet!!!!!

More holes, this time it was my horse who got into the vegie garden and left his tracks all over. He did a nice job of mowing the grass along the edges and around the rhubarb. I apparently hadn't latched the gate well, and when we had a big windstorm it blew open. Isn't any open gate an invitation?