Le printemps!

Awake, thou wintry earth-

Fling off thy sadness!

Fair vernal flowers, laugh forth

Your ancient gladness!

-Thomas Blackburn-

Spring is almost upon us, March 20th to be exact.  Life is busy here at Rockin' A Ranch, there are lambing jugs to ready for new lambs, a new holding pen getting built for the new steer , seedlings to be placed in "my special soil mix" for veggie starts, pruning of fruit trees, fertilizing of roses and flower beds..........a lot of work for two people.  We wouldn't have it any other way though...........working hard comes naturally to "The Man" and myself.  

 Walking the grounds the other day I noticed my perennial herbs breaking soil to greet the warmer days.  I love my fresh herbs. I pluck them during the Spring/Summer for drying, also for flavoring foods, butter, drinks, and using them as garnish for my "famous" Antipasto platter.  I also love growing edible flowers, Borage candied and placed in a glass of white wine sangria or tea, Nastursiums for salads, marigolds, violets, stock, pinks and cowslips.  Lavender and rose petals add a delicate color and flavor to our homemade ice cream.  Tulips partially dipped in chocolate and stuffed with lavender cream (stamen removed of course!).  In fact, I have a cousin in Vashon, Washington that grows edible flowers for most of the restaurants in Seattle, maybe it's inveterate for the two of us. 

"The Man" and myself are praying (along with our little mantra song) in hopes that our fruit blossoms on the trees will not freeze this year and we'll have an abundance of fruit.

Even "Blue" is anticipating an acceleration of action on the lone prarie lately, he's been pining his days away watching over his flock of sheep.......all after seeing some coyotes and bobcats recently.  He's a "good ol' boy," slowly coming into his own.

Yesterday's order of first cutting hay was delivered to the ol' ranch.  Over three ton to be exact, another is on the way.  This next batch will be the second cutting with smaller stems.  Sheep like smaller stems but all parts of alfalfa (including the stems) have serious nutritional value.  This load has a lot of protein in it for the unborn lambs and the ewes.  I like to get this in prior to the "girls" lambing, it's so good for them.  Our shearer friend, Miss Penney is coming in on March 20th to shear.  I like to get that done before lambing as well, keeps it a bit "tidier" for the lambing process. 

If I haven't told you about our shearer, now is my time to brag!!!  Penney is the daughter of Lynn.  Lynn sold me my first two ewes on the ranch and my first two rams.  Thus started the breeding of sheep at Rockin' A Ranch.  Lynn raised over 300 head of sheep in Republic, Washington in her hay-day.  Penney learned what she knows from a very smart, kind, and compassionate mama.  Penney LOVES to enter competitions with her shearing, last years took place in California.  She took third.............third internationally.........yeah, that means she out-sheared some real seasoned male, New Zealanders, Aussies, and the like.  She is an incredible shearer and we're very blessed that Lynn sent her to us. 

As I said, we have a new edition arriving at the ranch soon...........a Holstein steer calf (YES, that means bottle feeding three times a day).  Praying the lil' guy doesn't get scours and grows to be a nice, healthy steer.   Twenty-some chicks will also arrive late April.  I've furthered the flock of chickens incorporating more old, heritage breeds, and some will be raised for about six weeks and butchered for our freezer.  After four years of raising our own meat, store bought pales folks!  I can butcher and dress a chicken in less than fifteen minutes now.............who'd a thunk?  Our two new ducks are on order, a drake and hen "Buff," originating from England.  And of course our heritage breed turkeys are also on order. 

In denouement, I will be nurturing and bottle feeding a calf (hopefully NO lambs), tending to baby chicks of all varieties, and coaxing my sweet veggies, herbs and flowers along this Spring...............what'll you be doing this Spring?