Missing Willow Farm

Lizzie meets one of the animals she’ll be guarding.  Check out her happy, speedy tail!

We’ve decided to name our puppy Lizzy.  She got to spend her first night in Jack’s outdoor kennel by the house.  She couldn’t quite get the hang of the doghouse, even when we put her inside.   She’s now out in our small pasture with a few animals she’ll be guarding.  All we need now is a Beware Of Dog sign for the front gate.  🙂

Our border collies Jenna and Jack both started their lives as herding trial dogs, trained and handled by a really talented man.  So…  at our farm they dote on Brian.  Actually moon over him, even though we both handle them with our sheep.  Every time Jack fawns over Brian, I tell him ‘I want a puppy for Christmas, dammit’.  I guess Christmas came early this year!  She’s an 18 lb. great pyrenees pup who should grow to about 100 lbs.  Her job will be to guard our flock (not an indoor dog!)  We’re working on a name, and teaching her to walk on a lead so we can get her to the vet when needed.  Our karakachan Milos died last year, and his sister FiFi is showing her age.  We’ll miss her big time when she’s gone.  This little one has big paws to fill.

My mom helped me weed our side garden while she was visiting.  We must have pulled up a mile of applemint roots.  After she left, we added mulch and the first flowers I have purchased in many years.  I am normally so immersed in the raised beds and greenhouse that I can’t bring myself to bother with growing and watering something that’s not edible.  This is the last time I will plant in this bed because while I was putting those snapdragons in, I dug up a snake.  With a hand trowel.  Let’s just say Brian finished planting this bed…

We got our very first spears of asparagus of this season this morning.  When I brought them in with the morning’s eggs, I thought ‘frittata’!  Gotta make that happen.

We’ve been both visiting with my folks and getting away from the farm for our annual vacation.  They are the BEST farm sitters!  We have a lot going on around here between the sheep, goats, chickens, chicks, dogs, cat, microgreens and garden.  Oh, and we’re going to look at puppies this weekend.  Puppies!!!

They’re cute.  They’re loud.  They’re here.  We moved the brooder from the big barn to the chicken barn, which is now maximum security fortressed from predators.

Beatrice during her annual ordeal.  She, once again, was the worse one of them all.   She’s spoiled and has no desire to be manhandled.

Lambs in the morning sun.

We sampled these at dinner last night and they were crunchy, sweet and delicious!  We also have kohlrabi, spinach, cilantro and a little buttercrunch lettuce ready to harvest.  It’s time to plant more carrots and some other cool winter veggies in the raised beds.  The potatoes are already in and mulched over.  So many potatoes…