First cutting 2016

It was a weeklong struggle, but we did it!.  Nearly 250 fresh bales of hay put up in the barn for next winter.  A combination of well fertilized thick fields of grass, plenty of rain and a sketchy forecast, and old equipment created a small challenge for this spring first cutting. 

Dad cut the fields on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday.  Our first attempt to bale was Wednesday evening.  The hay was thick and somewhat damp, and kept clogging the old baler.  We finally decided to spread it back out and give it some more time to dry.  More tedding on Thursday, and then baling on Friday and Saturday.  The end result was tired farmers and lots of beautiful hay.  Thank goodness for my dad and all his help and guidance, and mom for keeping us fed and hydrated :-)

And this guy...

​Meanwhile, 4 H chickens arrived

And a bunch of Bob White Quail (what were we thinking??).  I'm pretty sure these will be released in the wild once they are grown.   I hope they survive and reproduce.  I love the sound of a Bob White chirping, it reminds me of my childhood.  That's something you rarely hear today.

Today I cleaned up the garden.  Grass was growing between the rows, so the best I could do was MOW it, and pull weeds and mulch in the rows.  So far so good. 

Strawberries have been in for a couple of weeks, and they're almost gone.  We've had just enough to eat and a few extra to freeze for later.

Milking has begun. Ember has one good udder, and one that is smaller due to her bout with mastitis after kidding.  For some reason, maybe its easier to get to, Glory seems to like nursing on that side too, so poor thing is a bit lop sided. (I'll spare you the butt pic this time).  Even so, we have plenty to drink and make pudding and yogurt, and a bunch is already in the freezer ready for soap making.