I love Spring.

So many photos! I went outside with my good camera and everything is so green out there that it's hard to stop taking photos. Eve on a cloudy day, this is by far the nicest season on the farm...especially when your favourite colour is green!

Even our 'junk' corner is looking better. I shouldn't call it 'our' junk corner, since it was never our junk up there. It is finally almost cleared and the grass is growing back nicely. Even though I think we have done a really good job of getting the grass growing well and managing it with rotational grazing, it isn't enough yet (or possibly at all) for the number of animals we have right now. We have Thomas, 3 ewes and 5 lambs - that is a lot for about 1.5 acres of pasture! We were worried about what we were going to do...but luckily, Nathan talked to our new neighbour who just moved in and he's willing to lease us his back pasture in exchange for some meat! He isn't interested in farming and he has at least an acre, maybe two, of beautiful pasture that connects to our property at the back corner, behind the shed in the photo. Great news for us and for the sheep! We'll be setting up our electronetting down there tomorrow afternoon. Thomas will probably stay up here with Pippa so we can get the lambing season back under control (instead of having them lamb at all different times like they did this year).

I love how the front yard looks now. 

It isn't very goat friendly (as in - DON'T YOU DARE EAT ANY OF THESE PLANTS, PIPPA!) so I've attempted to goat proof it. Pippa doesn't try to get up here when we're down on the farm, and as long as we go in the basement door she doesn't try to come up on the deck. Sometimes I do bring her up and tether her in the front yard to do some lawn mowing, which works quite well. 

I'm not normally overly impressed by pretty flowers, but I love these bleeding hearts (and the Japanese maple behind them!). I had to find some shade tolerant stuff to plant since this bed is north of the house.

Ryan would rather just go inside on a semi-rainy day. Comfy bed, warm, possibility of food...yes please.

Look at what we got!

This year's piggies! They are half Berkshire, but they ended up pink instead of black and white. They're 6 weeks old...super cute!

Front of the house from the lower driveway. 

Zoey was trying to get Pippa to play with her..

Pippa was too busy working on her balancing skills.

Unfortunately, her working on her balancing skills means that every time we bend over she runs over and hops up on our backs. I was trying to take some photos....but Pippa wanted Selfie With Goat.

Peas are flowering!

Hugel beds are looking nice and green...lots of weeds but also lots of veggies and clover.

Pear, apple and plum trees that we planted in the fall. 

Tom-tom

Oh, sorry - was I not paying enough attention to you, GOAT?

Sticking together, always

Zoey would like me to post this photo where she looks like a lovely, intense, coordinated young lady, before I post the following series.

I was taking some photos of the ducks on the dock, now that I can finally get closer to it. The pond has been receeding slowly. 

Ducks yelling at Zoey for coming over to the dock. By yelling I mean hissing and head bobbing. 

Ducks cannot BELIEVE that dogs ignored them.

"How DARE YOU not listen to Queen Victoria"

Possibly should have listened to duck warnings. Next thing I know...

Oh, the shame!

The indignity! With ducks watching it all unfold!

Just pretend like nothing happened, Zoey. Walk on by.

Not enough GOAT! PAY ATTENTION TO THE GOAT!