The garden is in, minus sweet potatoes. I planted 50 pounds of potatoes, tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, squash, beets, carrots, green beans, and herbs. My raised beds are in disrepair after years of heavy use, but I am hoping to get at least one more season out of them. The cold frames Randy built me from repurposed wood and glass worked amazing. I was able to grow lettuce, spinach, and kale through the winter and early spring months. I also started some cucumbers in them.
It has also been calving season this month. We calved out heifers this year which was a new and slightly scary experience for us. Our first heifer to calve was Tina, our registered A2/A2 Jersey (sold). Randy and I were able to assist her in having a healthy little bull calf. He is half Scottish Highland, half Jersey.
Next was old faithful, Lexi, our registered A2/A2 milk cow. We kept a close eye on her when we saw her start, but were pretty sure she could manage on her own until we saw one, rather large, back hoof coming out. We gathered the meds and chains, called dad, and headed out to assist. It took all three of us pulling, but mama and baby are both doing well.
Raising Savanna goats on Jersey milk
And at one week old, Aspen’s adult budgies decided to attack the baby that had hatched. Mama disowned the baby after the attack, so we have been faithfully feeding this little guy/gal every two hours for the past couple weeks.
And for the record, I did say know to the offer of a kitten last week. A monumental event for me to utter the words regarding an animal. Truthfully, it had already found a home or it would be here. But my initial answer was, “no” if that counts for anything.
Randy mowed stickers in our pasture just in time for the rain to nourish the grass below. As I walked through our over grown lawn the other morning, admiring the green pastures, I thought about the way we manage our farm and life. Our yard may get overgrown, but our pastures will be well tended. The flowerbed may get weedy, but the food will be harvested on time. My house may not get dusted regularly, but the little lives inside (2-legged and 4-legged) are well loved, fed, and cared for. My priorities may not suit the modern, keeping-up-with-the-Joneses world of today, but when I step back and look around. I am able to see the beauty and blessings through the weeds and the dust.
We are entering June with VBS, reading lists, new journals being created, the garden in place, and care packages being put together. We have had unbelievable rain and are so grateful to God for his blessings.
A Simple Prairie Life 