Missing Willow Farm

Summer has grown up to be a lovely doe.  She was Hermione’s third triplet.  She was very weak when she was born and her mom ignored her, that’s how I became her mom.  She still runs to me when I call her.   🙂

Jack isn’t allowed to help on poultry processing day, but he spends the day out with us.  We put him in the small pasture where he looks forlorn until he figures out he can hunt mice, play in the leaves, drag sticks around and basically do fun dog stuff while waiting to join the family.

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See how this turkey is right next to the wall of the turkey tractor?  It’s because he’s trying to get at me.  Every time I open the door to feed them, he attacks me with his most menacing turkey defenses.  I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been pecked and jumped at.  Brian’s going to have to go in and get him…

Milos meets one of the birds who are living in a chicken tractor up close and personal.   They both are extremely well behaved.  They’re used to seeing each other around the pasture, just not face to face.

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Our pasture has gone dormant for the winter.  Our sheep and goats have eaten just about every blade of grass so we’ve started feeding large bales of hay.  One thing different between this year and last is we had the 3+ acre annex property we purchased next door fenced.  It’s got a pretty nice singlewide trailer that we’re using both for spillover company and as a ceramic studio, a small barn, an orchard and a beat up storage building.  And lots of lush grass, woods and a spring.  We keep our young does over there and let the sheep in for the day.  They wait for us at the gate in the morning, and Jack loves to go find them and bring them home in the evening.

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Mina’s little guy Godric has grown up to be very handsome.  We’ve decided to keep our 2012 kids because of the annex property we bought next door.  There are three acres in woods to be browsed down and goats are the perfect solution.

Bradford pears by our driveway in full color!

Jack evidently saw a mouse here once… He’s been digging to China there for over a week now.  It’s right outside our feed room so I’m sure it’s possible.  He leaps with joy in our pumpkin patch chasing field mice.  Simple pleasures.

This was a surprise from our daughter Tracy.  She does apparel design for a living and thought we needed new tees.  We do!  She’s also responsible for our farm logo and website design.  🙂