Call me a slacker, but we've been celebrating. And what a reason to celebrate... the lion will lie down with the lamb- or in today's vernacular, the racoon will lie down with the chicken!
As for gardening, the greens are still going strong. Peas are getting nice and plump. I've gotten
several handfuls a week of beautiful pearly pink cherry tomatoes. My cilantro is waist high. I planted more garlic and some more seeds this weekend. We're giving spinach one more shot. Not a single plant has survived transplanting... such a shame- I love spinach! The beets too remain very small. I've got a few more seeds in cups hoping they're take off where the others have stunted. I think I'll have some carrots for harvesting in a couple more weeks and planted some more seeds to take their place. Also trying to get more sage going. Seasoning our 37 Thanksgiving bird still has me wiped out.
The goats MUST all be pregnant. They are all looking rather wide though the earliest kidding date would be March. They are enjoying their wide open spaces... though haven't ventured to the rear of the pasture much yet.
As for our other kids, Gloria had a fabulous Christmas. She was so cute to watch. Her favorite part was making "Baby
Jesus Cookies" though few made it onto the gift plates unsampled. She also loved all the "horsie" ornaments on the tree. I never realized how many "horsie" ornaments I had until she pointed them all out. My mom gave her a little tape recorder with a microphone- she's been singing jingle bells ever since. She's quite the little diva. Aaron has enjoyed the season as well though not because of cookies or presents, but rather just having lots of people around to hold him. He's such a cuddlebug. I've gone through a little bit of withdrawal. I had so many projects I was working on for Christmas: handknit stockings for Aaron and my mom's fiance, a quilt for my nephew, scrapbooked calendars for all the grandparents, etc. Now its just cooking and cleaning and organizing and making up for all I let slide while I was making gifts. I don't mind the daily grind, I just really like being creative. Now all I have to create is some diapers for "little" Aaron's ever-growing behind.
Many blessings in the new year for all of you. The pictures are of our family celebrations: Gloria modeling her new "click clack shoes"... The kids must have been mighty good this year (yes, small children CAN fit in those stockings!)... Aaron and "GG" (Great Grandpa)... Gloria singing with Grandpa Mac... And its not Christmas if Randy isn't stealing some playtime with the kids' new toys!
I come bearing tidings of great joy which will be to all people of N. Pinedale Rd.- the goats are out of the front yard!!! Randy and our friend, Steven, put up woven wire fencing around the pasture this past weekend and it has proven goat proof! And the ducks are even tucked away meaning they're no longer eating my chives and pooping all over the driveway! Now lest you think our necks have totally ceased to be red, we still have a pallet wood fence, the most decorative area of landscaping is a smattering of herbs and our jasmine climbing our "Narnia light" has yet to recover from frequently being snacked on.
We moved the ducks night time enclosure into the pasture to encourage them to... ahem... fertilize the pasture sand. They evidently no longer recognized it as home and refused to go in. Previously we merely had to go outside after dark and shut the door. No amount of chasing and 
herding would get them in now though. So today I tricked them. I put their water in the pen only and lured them with some chicken grain. Once inside I trapped them in. I'll let them out again in a few days after re-establishing it as home. I've had some rather nervous nights with them running loose where any coon or bobcat could get them, especially since they are further from the house and I may not hear an attack in time to save them. Thankfully, they were unseen by all mischievious nighttime wildlife and lived to see another day.
herding would get them in now though. So today I tricked them. I put their water in the pen only and lured them with some chicken grain. Once inside I trapped them in. I'll let them out again in a few days after re-establishing it as home. I've had some rather nervous nights with them running loose where any coon or bobcat could get them, especially since they are further from the house and I may not hear an attack in time to save them. Thankfully, they were unseen by all mischievious nighttime wildlife and lived to see another day.As for gardening, the greens are still going strong. Peas are getting nice and plump. I've gotten
several handfuls a week of beautiful pearly pink cherry tomatoes. My cilantro is waist high. I planted more garlic and some more seeds this weekend. We're giving spinach one more shot. Not a single plant has survived transplanting... such a shame- I love spinach! The beets too remain very small. I've got a few more seeds in cups hoping they're take off where the others have stunted. I think I'll have some carrots for harvesting in a couple more weeks and planted some more seeds to take their place. Also trying to get more sage going. Seasoning our 37 Thanksgiving bird still has me wiped out. The goats MUST all be pregnant. They are all looking rather wide though the earliest kidding date would be March. They are enjoying their wide open spaces... though haven't ventured to the rear of the pasture much yet.
As for our other kids, Gloria had a fabulous Christmas. She was so cute to watch. Her favorite part was making "Baby
Jesus Cookies" though few made it onto the gift plates unsampled. She also loved all the "horsie" ornaments on the tree. I never realized how many "horsie" ornaments I had until she pointed them all out. My mom gave her a little tape recorder with a microphone- she's been singing jingle bells ever since. She's quite the little diva. Aaron has enjoyed the season as well though not because of cookies or presents, but rather just having lots of people around to hold him. He's such a cuddlebug. I've gone through a little bit of withdrawal. I had so many projects I was working on for Christmas: handknit stockings for Aaron and my mom's fiance, a quilt for my nephew, scrapbooked calendars for all the grandparents, etc. Now its just cooking and cleaning and organizing and making up for all I let slide while I was making gifts. I don't mind the daily grind, I just really like being creative. Now all I have to create is some diapers for "little" Aaron's ever-growing behind. 
Many blessings in the new year for all of you. The pictures are of our family celebrations: Gloria modeling her new "click clack shoes"... The kids must have been mighty good this year (yes, small children CAN fit in those stockings!)... Aaron and "GG" (Great Grandpa)... Gloria singing with Grandpa Mac... And its not Christmas if Randy isn't stealing some playtime with the kids' new toys! 
2 comments:
I didn't know you had to transplant spinach. How come you can't just plant the seed and let it grow?
Loved the pictures. The children are really growing. Aunt Kris
Spoken like a true northerner... Anything smaller than a big bean seed gets eaten before it can sprout. We also have such weed problems, I like to sprout things in clean dirt so I know what's going in where and can know what to pull before it goes to seed. I transplant everything unless I'm planting it in the pasture.
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