Well, Carla is back, hale and hearty after her not too pleasant brush with Montezuma’s revenge and we are closing in on French Woofer Camille’s last week. How fast time flies when you are having fun ? The last ewe lambed safely and has a cute little ewe lamb as proof of her dalliance with Rodney the ram last Autumn. It would appear that persistence and humanity have paid off with the two tiny lambs currently trying to persuade number 20 that Moms do need a sense of responsibility (preferably accompanied by an ample udder). The team have continued to feed the twins on a two hourly (ish) schedule, tediously syringing goat milk through the drench, hand feeding miniscule grains of protein rich grain and washing mucky butts. This morning, a quick peep into the stall was cause to congratulate ourselves, Cammy and Carla ( the four legged version) the premature twins were avidly chewing on moms breakfast, three heads all buried in the bowl and little tails wagging. A later check on the worrisome threesome confirmed that both were working hard to make the milky bar operate and thankfully it appeared that number 20 was not only standing but co operating with the whole (apparently  unsavoury) process.

Big brother John, currently on his weekend of rest and recuperation has put the hours in the woodpile behind him as an experience that might be best forgotten and this week has turned his attention to other projects on Greg’s ever growing “must do” list. In a rainstorm ( another one... and it was apparently almost tropical in Dolgethlli, Wales ) big brother climbed the ladder and cleared the overflowing drainpipes that have clearly been host to a flourishing bed of very healthy moss for umptyump years. Drainpipes evidently do not work too well in deluge conditions breeding beds of moss and Niagra style waterfalls had become the new barnyard hazard ready to catch the unwary. Thanks John. On to the next mission.... he is now turning his hand to tyling in the barn kitchen.( By the time he leaves, mucking out the stalls will be a blessing...maybe. smile)

Daisy, Molly, Hol-ley Rodney the ram and macho the buck share a pasture and all co habit quite amicably, the band of five gently amble off up Cow Lane and out to the pasture each morning searching for the lush and apparently plentiful Spring grass. Sadly, the abundance of grass has resulted in all five  becoming hellions coming home to the barn at night. No longer an excited rush for the pitiful bucket of grain used as a successful lure throughout the Winter months, when you have bellies rounded with grass, co operation is unnecessary and the  walk home is apparently pointless . Calls and whistles fall on deaf ears, even Bran’s valiant efforts to roust the stubborn gang are met with blatant disregard. They watch us…from the far end of the pasture and, generally, miserable, dripping wet cold and with growing impatience we watch them. It’s a Mexican standoff, threats of filet mignon, hamburger and castration are disregarded and ultimately ( and sadly now routinely!) the frustrated cowboy turns mechanised, Bran turns “quad hoodie” and together determinedly and resolutely they head off up Cow Lane to bring back the errant band of reprobates.

Time to go and feed the workers. Another batch of cookies are I think being inhaled faster than I can bake them and it’s hamburgers for dinner. Better get to work. Take care, keep safe, M 

I’m having a REALLY bad hair day !! The double Doppler was working overtime this morning. MJ  ( Fox 13 meteorologist) was so excited she was almost doing a jig, the rain shadow on the weather map was so green it was almost black and above us the clouds are grey and unforgiving. The rain is coming down in sheets, the wind is blowing, the cedar branches are waving and as usual everyone in the barn and out in the pastures look pitiful !

Bad weather doesn’t discourage Gertie the confused Canada Goose. As new equine beau Charm was persuading me that the last carrot couldn’t possibly have been the last, loud honking signalled the immanent arrival of a very low flying goose. Luckily a quick diversionary shimmy saved me from having a very yucky goose poop shampoo as the soggy missile dropped from the air.  Gertie barely cleared the pasture fence in her haste to greet Charm the golden palomino. Valentine the gander (in waiting…not too patiently !!) follows his reluctant mate at a much more subdued pace and cautiously paces the fenceline at a very safe distance from the horses feet. Gertie, totally unconcerned by Valentines impatience or any danger from Charm just grazes happily alongside Mr. Beauty with attitude and has clearly forgotten that she is a goose. The “visiting” flock of geese have still not relinquished ownership of the pond, the nest and, more significantly, the horse’s Summer pasture. Gentle Giant Meadows Ranch is beginning to resemble a wildlife refuge as The heron stoically fishes or stands motionless poised on one leg at the edge of the water waiting for a hapless frog. Down on the pond geese sail around the island, fight for dominance and ownership of the nest and fly in “V” formation fast and low, loudly honking over the barn.

The two little lambs, now called Cammi and Carla are still causing us concern. Tiny black and white Cammi and even tinier white Carla are on a gruelling two hourly feeding schedule. Neither lamb appears to have any instinct to suck and moms milky bar is sadly inadequate. A drench, slow and laborious is currently the only method by which the twins are getting sustenance and two hourly the lambs are kidnapped from mom. Camille our lovely French WOOFER has become very proficient with the lambs and kids, treating first one end then cleaning up the other as the need arises. ( very frequently !!) Bran the Border Collie is very happy to assist and enthusiastically lends his tongue to clean up milk sticky muzzles and dirty overactive butts. There’s nothing about poo we don’t know …or are becoming familiar with very fast  !

Poor Lamb Chop, we must have the only whether in the world that has an allergy to grass !! Last year his rear end was scrubbed daily through the Summer, his poopy condition was considered to be as a result of falling foul of macho the buck and Allissia the doeling. This year, as the Spring grass has started to appear so has Lamb Chop’s dirty butt, the two goats have been acquitted, and we have had to accept that our scruffy, only a mother could love him ( but she didn’t !) Lamb Chop has a very serious problem. What are we to do with a sheep that doesn’t tolerate grass....just love him !
Time to move, the team will be coming up from the barn hungry wet and weary…..the rain is still falling and the wind is still blowing. Take care, keep safe, M 

When God designed sheep, I swear he forgot to create a brain that functions on anything more complex than procreation and food. As each tiny little lamb makes its entry into the world, the proportion of brain allocated appears to shrink to even smaller than miniscule and sadly those super cute, enchanting little bundles of trouble…don’t seem to have a brain !!!

An executive decision was made ( that means it wasn’t my idea, wasn’t me !) and that decision was to allow the formation eating team of ewes and their tiny offspring out into the pasture. Open two gates, put passionately over enthusiastic Border Collie Bran on guard and momma sheep will, like all good mommas make sure that junior gets safely, orderly and speedily into the pasture where the juicy Spring grass is. Where the juicy Spring grass is, just waiting for the formation eating team… and every momma wants to get there first ! Bawling babies are left standing in the dust, watching chunky butts and swinging milky bars disappearing, oblivious of their stranded offspring. The stranded offspring on the other side of the fence were apparently not granted a portion of brain that worked on remote button..”follow mom” or a GPS that reminded them that they were to take the same route as yesterday..and the day before. The moms already mowing the pasture at the speed of light weren’t about to send out a search party and Bran the Border Collie found that running in manic circles around the deranged Lambs who were also running in manic circles was futile. What should have been a methodical passage from “a” gate to “b” gate turned into a football touchdown as lamb after troublesome lamb was captured squealing and wriggling and returned to their irresponsible parent.  Predictably, the evening’s process back to the barn echoed the chaos of the morning and once having slammed the gate on the last dazed and confused lamb Greg and I just about collapsed in an exhausted heap. Hopefully those moms will eventually accept responsibility for their offspring or the lambs will, either learn to stick close to mom or learn the way to the pasture themselves. We live in hope !

The two little ewe lambs born last week to number 20 are still giving us cause for concern and have, so far resisted all our attempts to settle a clearly unsettled digestive system. Yesterday, both tiny lambs were borrowed from their anxious momma for a very necessary wash and brush up. Clearly the next time we will have to be better prepared…Greg and I were left wearing a heavy dressing of not very desirable shade of yellow lamb poo and we did not smell good !!! 

Big brother John is still,( hopefully not lost) out wandering around Dungerness Spit. The weekends good weather was in his favour but my hope is, he took his rubber boots, raincoat and water wings. The weather forecast isn’t good. Camille returned from her weekend in Seattle still smiling. We took a trip to Bremmerton to collect her from the ferry last night and Carla, sadly unwell for the past 2 days has returned home for her two days off the ranch. Hopefully whatever ailment was giving her an issue didn’t follow her back to the city. Hope you are feeling better today Carla and very happy to have you back Camille.

Time to go, it’s almost mid day and time I got this posted. Take care, keep safe. M

Good morning from deep in the heart of a beautiful Pierce County, Washington State. The good news is, Spring appears to have arrived, yesterday there wasn’t a miserable grey cloud to spoil a brilliant blue sky. The hawks drifted with the thermals and the nesting birds scurried to gather sheep hair and wisps of stolen hay to build tiny nests in the boughs of trees just bursting to bud. The willows Alder and the orchard are wearing a covert sheen of green like a chiffon veil over Winter’s bare branches.
 The bad news is those pesky weeds are back, unconcerned by the heavy frosts torrential rain and whipping winds those tenacious weeds still manage to thrive. The brilliant golden daffodils and the sturdy tulips have suffered, either beaten down by the aforementioned weather nasties or a tasty lunch for marauding deer who frequently pop in for a quick takeaway…why don’t they eat my weeds ?
John has completed his mission in the woodshed and passed with honours. Where there was once disorder John has restored order, a coffee can of broken rusty nails and a nice tidy stack of reusable plywood ( sorry Tony !!) is all that is left to remind us of the chaos that once was.  He is currently off duty, on a weekend diversionary road trip, trying I’m sure to forget his next assignment which will see him mixing and matching an assortment of tiles in the barn kitchen. This time big brother wont be counting rusty nails…he’ll be counting tiles in his sleep..who needs nightmares?
Little Hol-ley now promoted to big cow status is giving us attitude and according to true big cow practice is making life just as difficult as a little black cow can or even a big black cow !!. All day the three cows graze undisturbed,  feasting on the lush Spring grass, and languidly chewing their cud when their appetite has been satisfied. As the sun sets, Molly, Daisy and Hol-ley with Rodney the ram and Macho the ever ready buck, tummy’s rounded with grass  amble back down Cow Lane for supper where we have a system in practice.... Sadly, systems are unreliable and Hol-ley is determined to prove what we have believed for a long time…Systems however well intended are made to be broken here on the farm  and little Hol-ley is just the cow to demonstrate it ! Each grain bucket is set in a designated spot, each animal designated a grain bucket in it’s designated spot and up to now the system worked. Hol-ley broke away from the normally orderly procession. Chaos quickly ensued, Hol-ley spotted a particularly lush blade of grass, Rodney went one way, Molly another. Macho the buck spotted his opportunity, Molly’s bucket surely had something more tasty than his, even if it didn’t, if he was quick, he could eat both. Molly not slow to seize good fortune when it presented itself, headed for Rodney’s bucket and poor docile Daisy Mae clearly confused by the system break down, just wandered from one empty designated (and now un-designated) bucket to the next. Meanwhile,Hol-ley the instigator of the chaos just buried her head deep in the grass and stoically resisted an incensed Greg and an amused Carla. Greg Pulled, Carla pushed, Bran the dog just ran in frustrated circles and Hol-ley the calf/cow dug her little hooves in and refused to move… Tonight there will be a new system, Hol-ley will be on the end of a very sturdy leadrope and designated grain buckets WILL get to designated critters !!

Number 20 is not proving to be a good mommy and her two little ewe lambs despite anxious searching are not finding a milky bar open. An executive decision has been made and two little Pepsi bottles with little rubber teats are going to be replacing the reluctant mother.

Well, time to go. The cuckoo clock is about to cuckoo 12 oclock and it’s time I got this post online before I have another protest at my overdue diary entry. Take care, keep safe, M    

It’s Wednesday morning and the sun is shining over Gentle Giant Meadows Ranch. Since I’m pretty sure we don’t have a celestial pardon, I guess it’s probably shining all over the Pacific North West, either way, we don’t mind sharing and it feels pretty good to have the sun on our backs, it has been a really long Winter !

We never know what we are going to find each day when we open the barn doors. Yesterday, unexpectedly, two tiny lambs were born to number 20. Apparently it was a surprise to her too. Number twenty a big white first timer had none of the normally very obvious signals of impending birth,... the most conspicuous indication generally being a very engorged milky bar. The two little ewe lambs and learner mom were quickly and safely tucked away in a bonding pen to ensure mom accepted responsibility for her offspring and the lambs learnt where the sadly inadequate milky bar was located. Unfortunately for mom ewe and us, number 2o is unable to meet supply and demand which means that mother nature needs a little help and two little lambs are being supplemented with an artificial rubber teat, a recycled plastic Coke bottle and some formula. The infants are slow to accept the imitation mom and mom ewe is clearly unimpressed at the intrusion in the nursery. Over the next vital few days every little drop will help to keep her babies alive and it maybe that the ewe will belatedly stock up her milky bar in response to her babies searching and the formula will not be necessary.   

I was passing the window in the bathroom ( as you do) and out of the corner of my eye I had a fleeting glance of the formation eating team and their lambs. Distractedly I noted the flock was REALLY enjoying grazing the lush Spring grass that is growing around the base of the flagpole…..THE FLAGPOLE !! The sheep had staged a Jurassic Park style breakout, the sedate moms and their exuberant offspring were in the barnyard munching everything they saw, cleaning up like a swarm of locusts…and they were heading intently towards the open gate and the road. A frantic call to Greg who seemed to take a lifetime to answer and Greg and Camille simultaneously appeared from the depths of the barn accompanied by Bran the Border Collie. Bran was ecstatic, all his Christmas’s had come at once…something to chase, unfortunately (a) the ladies were far too busy eating to worry about a dog and b) who worries about a dog anyway, particularly a Bran dog? Once the road gate was closed, Greg set about trying to return the reluctant escapees to their pen... and Bran the dog concentrated on causing anarchy and chaos. Greg pushed Chance (my bottle baby lamb) by the butt in the direction of the gate then turned his attention to Alice our rescue lamb. By the time Alice was pointing in the right direction, Chance had wandered back to visit with Greg and defy the frenzied dog. By this time I confess to having seen the funny side of the confusion and all alone up in the bathroom, horror had quickly turned to uncontrolled and very guilty hysterical laughter . Camille was hanging grimly on to Lamb Chop who only wanted a morsel of carrot and wasn’t sure what all the fuss was about. Greg was pushing and shoving lumpy sheep butts, ewes followed closely by skipping lambs wandering back and forth into the barn and Bran the enthusiastic (but out of control) sheep dog was ineffectually charging up and down, totally ignored by the satiated eating team. When all the sheep had eventually returned to the sheep pen, Greg’s blood pressure had settled, Camille had bribed lamb Chop and Bran had hyperventilated, Camille innocently risked life and limb….”can we do it all again for a photograph ?” Sadly ( but, in retrospect understandably) I think Greg had, somewhere in the time he was wrestling sheep, temporarily lost his sense of humour.

Well, time to go the starving team has returned for their lunch break and need feeding Bran is trying to pretend he didn't get a treat and the sun is still shining . Take care, keep safe. M          

Little Hol-ley the 8 month old Dexter calf has graduated to big school and was moved into the cow barn to learn how to be a real bona fida bovine. Under mom Molly and sister Daisy Mae’s guidance she will learn to recognise the tastiest lush green morsels in the pasture, how to ignore the bitter crab grass and the marshy bulrush and how to eat everything and anything that is most definitely OFF the menu ( like my roses). Molly and Daisy Mae have been happily and contentedly cohabiting with Rodney the ram and Macho the goat buck who, no respecters of pregnancy or the immanent arrival of their tiny offspring were evicted from their respective harems when their romantic (or lustful) intentions became intrusive on their heavily pregnant ladies. Innocent little Hol-ley was busily minding her own business, bawling firstly for her breakfast and secondly to be led out from her little stall for some light entertainment bullying the three little rescue calves in the nursery pasture…but little Hol-leys life was about to change.
Hol-ley is a polled Dexter, technically translated that means that she doesn’t have horns….but the laws of nature ( and just because she was born on our farm I’m sure !) had a different plan for our polled Dexter and her little head has two Satanic pointed horns which could potentially make significant holes in her play mates..and us. Those devilish little horns had to be dealt with before she did some damage and yesterday was the appointed day. Sadly a nail file wasn’t going to work, an emery board would just give those horns a sassy shine so the big guns had to come out ! The angle grinder was pulled out of storage, the angle grinder was dusted off and prepared for surgery. The team got ready for a rodeo, plans were made for a potential debacle and Hol-ley the calf with the horns of a little devil was the perfect little angel. She led like a puppy dog into the cattle squeeze, stood as quietly as a lamb while Greg and the girls ground and filed the sharp little devilish points into harmless round ends. Waited patiently as she was wormed and quietly ( and amazingly ) walked quietly out of the cattle squeeze. Hol-ley’s transition into big girls school appeared to be smooth, Molly and Dolly were tolerant ( if not exactly welcoming) to the new kid on the block however, unexpectedly, Rodney the ram and Macho the Boer buck clearly resented the upstart infiltrating their band of four, our guess is there was a little bovine bullying in the cow pen and poor little Hol-ley spent her first night as a big girl not looking too brave alone in the corner of the pasture, away from the warmth of the barn and her unwelcoming new companions.
Yesterday also saw the great "breakout", Jurassic park was breached and I wasn't quite sure if I was going to pass away with blood pressure or expire through laughing....but I have another pressing appointment with my doctor who undoubtably is going to advise me...again that my cholesterol and the forementioned blood pressure is too high. The story will have to wait till tomorrow. Sadly there are no photographs to record the event but we surely wont forget it in a hurry!!!!. As Camille said, between chortles and with her beautiful French accent ..." Now we have to do it again, for pictures". Got to move,...  I'd better get another peanut butter cookie before I go !!!
Take care, keep safe, M

Still raining here..raining hard and the rest of the USA is “suffering” the effects of a heatwave. I guess the only consolation as we begin to build our Ark and fit the livestock with water wings is…we aren’t going to be having a water shortage in the Summer !

We went to a birthday party yesterday and then the birthday party came to us! Somewhere between the gift opening and the cutting the birthday cake, a trip to the farm was arranged and we were descended on at warp speed by a bunch of under 10s. As the little visitors arrived, Tiger and Shy contentedly lazing on the hood of the Chevy truck instantaneously disappeared in two different directions and Bran the Border Collie, no child lover, headed for the comparative safety under the bench, behind the table in the barn kitchen.  It was noted that Camille and Carla also beat a very hasty retreat, keeping the electric fence and three calves  strategically placed between them and anarchy !! A chorus of “ we want to hold a lamb” found Heidi and Greg playing “catch me if you can” with a bunch of reprobate lambs who have firmly established a bratpack and weren’t about to be passed around like a stuffed toy any time soon. Some kind of strategy involving food  (doesn’t it always ?) was being discussed when Heidi triumphantly presented little Katie’s one day old offspring. Clearly the little brown and white new born didn’t move as fast as her siblings and hasn’t yet learnt the art of evasion. Katie, watching her offspring being coddled and squeezed by tiny hands intent on hugging the last breath of life out of their captive lamb was less than impressed. Particularly unfriendly even on a good day Katie the Moufflon ewe was getting more irate by the second,whilst the other ewes visited and happily chewed on carrot morsels, Katie growled and as Katie’s offspring went from one set of little arms to the next and cameras whirred and clicked, Katie’s growl got louder. Shrieks of excitement indicated that the lambs were old news, the lamb was restored to her incensed mother and the recently hatched fluffy little chicks were the new object of the young visitor’s short attention span. A handful of carrots and the children resolutely headed for the horse pasture before resuming party mode and disappearing like a chattering tornado heading for cup cakes and raspberry frosting. Thanks for payment received Heidi…those cup cakes are good !!

Camille and Carla finished their day with a horse riding lesson. Roman the impatient black Morgan was saddled up and led out into the arena to give the ladies the opportunity to have a little light relief after their traumatic afternoon. Roman is not noted for his patience or tolerance and having given Camille a relatively painless horseback experience he decided that he had done his duty, earned his dinner and he was done. Every direction eventually leads to the pasture gate and somehow it would appear that Romans circuits of the field were getting smaller and smaller and always stopped at the way home.  Just to add to his uncooperative disposition, Roman noted two passers by who happened to be taking a stroll on the farm road. If the black gelding had, at any time been paying attention to Carla, the two innocent walkers apparently put paid to any chance of him listening until they disappeared in the puff of smoke in which he seemed to think they had arrived. Roman stopped on the spot, stiffened drew himself up to his full height and refused to move….even to the gate ! I guess the lesson was over…but only for the night.

Time to go, the team are out in the pasture collecting brush wood and the back police has confined me to the house with a promise of good behaviour. Take care, keep safe, M      

Just for a change the Pacific North West is under a deluge ! The ewes and lambs remain huddled in the barn, trips to the water trough are carefully managed, avoiding the waterfall from the fractured drainpipe and hugging the barn wall under the shelter of the barn eaves. The horses have perfected the fine art of looking miserable and stand head down and ears back in the corner of the pasture, rain dripping from their waterproof rugs and occasionally switching resting legs as they wait for Summer. The chickens are in hiding and the cows secrete themselves under the shelter of the arms of the cedar tree. We are fortunate, our pastures, mostly sandy loam drain well and flood control is minimum…under normal rainfall conditions, this rain isn’t normal. Big brother John is smiling smugly, he and brother in law Malcolm were sentenced to ditch digging (and ditch filling in!)  earlier in the Winter and he is back, to watch the fruits of their labor (labour …Brit spell). Torrents of rain, driven by a front coming through Alaska….California..probably even China are falling, the pond banks are close to bursting and John and Malc’s ditches are flowing like the Mississippi, just how they were designed. All this rain/wind/snow/sleet/hail raised another English-French conversion discussion. Our young French WOOFER commented that “Il pleut comme vache qui pisse” which, literally translated caused our young lady to blush..and since I don’t use colourful language ( I might think it occasionally !) I am going to translate carefully…”it rains like a cow having a pee ( guess the exact translation !!). I guess it sort of makes more sense than “raining cats and dogs” but I probably won’t be trading cats and dogs for cows any time soon. Smile.

This morning a smiling Camille was told that I would like her to bring me her sheets to wash. The smile faded as she assimilated the given information. A hesitant and questioning …Maureen..we wash the SHEEP ?! followed. Time to break out the English/French dictionary.

Yesterday we welcomed Carla, our newest WOOFER, we hope that her time with us will leave her with happy memories. Welcome Carla. Now I have two house guests both beginning with C…..I know it’s going to be a challenge !

Katie the sheep with attitude had her lamb yesterday, a cute little ewe lamb arrived without drama to our rescue sheep. Currently in the bonding Pen she gave Carla the opportunity to give Katie a manicure  and to assist Greg in tending to the newest arrival to the brat pack.

John is still tucked away in the woodpile, happily unable to hear my Country music he is in a happy place with his earphones firmly under his silly hat. The wood pile is transforming on a daily basis and I’m sure that John sees wood rusty nails and a lump hammer in his sleep. Thanks John…it must be better than digging /filling holes !

Well, time to go and make the team some peanut butter cookies. Take care, keep safe and dry. M

We are having SO much fun with this language “thing”…between the "Queens English" ( big brother John) my "sort of "Queens English, liberally interspersed with the odd Americanism translation (cookie/biscuit, faucet/tap….garbage/ rubbish), Greg’s varying mixture of Chicago'n and Montanan, Quatra's pure Californian/Seattlite and Camille’s native French there is never a dull moment. Conversations inevitably are a mixture of arm waving, charades, jumping up and down and scratching of  heads, when all translation options are exhausted…out comes the dictionary, why didn't we think of that first ?. What has come as a revelation is how many words sound alike but are so different when you add a little French dressing…( horse and house come to mind)… and what a reminder that a smile can break down any international barriers. Camille has effortlessly integrated into this multi national household and we look forward to the month she will be here.
Big brother John is back at work, complete with silly hat and ear phones…he hasn’t exactly shared his aversion to Country Music but it would appear that almost any other genre of noise is preferable to my Jim Reeves and George Strait. When the back police evict me from the barn after my frustratingly insignificant efforts to do what I used to do best, I believe that Rock music quickly replaces the dulcet tones of the country crooners. John is currently industriously rebuilding and restoring order to the wood pile, coincidently, restoring the wood pile also means building and pulling apart, a recurring theme for our uncomplaining ( at least..not to us !!) helper.
Quatre has been constructing a frame to block up a hole into the barn loft. All was apparently going very well  until the “hole grew” which consequently made the plank of wood she had cut a little short. Don’t you just hate it when a hole grows !!?? Quatre is back to work on the project today and you can be sure that our long term WOOFER will make that plank fit.
Camille and Greg have also been busy. Camille, unfamiliar with drills appeared to be having difficulty with her allocated mission. Perched on top of a seemingly endless ladder it was difficult to spot the problem until Greg went up to check. Poor Camille, the drill had apparently “put itself” into reverse mode, foiling our frustrated but still smilingly enthusiastic French WOOFER.  A quick switch adjustment and the project is nearing completion.

Thanks team !!   

The horses sheep and cows can smell Spring in the air even if the current weather conditions belie the immanent change of seasons. The sweet lush Spring grass is starting to grow and sadly and invariably the choicest picks are on the wrong side of the fence ( or being munched on by the visiting goose colony that is squatting in the horse’s Summer pasture). Spring can cause the most docile horse to have a disposition transplant and yesterday Lady proved that she isn’t beyond behaving like a delinquent. Zinny the little chestnut pony mare was leaving the pasture, grimly hanging on to her lead rope, her young owner tried to steer her past a particularly enticing blade of grass when Lady, ever the opportunist spotted the chance for a break out. Seeing her pasture mate taking advantage of temptation, Zinny wasn’t going to allow the spring grass to go un-sampled regardless of her poor young handler’s valiant efforts to restrain her.  Both horses thought all their Christmas’s had come at once and planted themselves firmly and resolutely, wishful of an extended break for freedom. Not happening !! An eviction order was instantaneous and from all corners of the barn helpers arrived to ensure the offenders were quickly back under control.
It would seem that the remainder of the USA is currently enjoying record high temperatures and it would appear that yesterday, around the nation the sun was shining. Needless to say, here in the Pacific North West we aren’t enjoying sunshine and the only record we are breaking is how many varying types of weather we can possibly experience in one day. We had rain, wind hail snow…oh and the sun did manage to peep out from a big black storm cloud at least once. It was challenging for man and beast but by the time a weary team settled for dinner all was forgotten and weary WOOFERS, confident all the horses and livestock were warm and dry, safely in the barn, settled for the end of another day.
Time to go, not quite sure what I’m going to do but I’m sure I’ll find some trouble…somewhere, somehow. Take care, keep safe. M  

Quatre came home so our female majority in the house became even bigger ! Greg does have big brother John for some male support…but he is currently  unashamedly being led astray somewhere in Western Washington and Greg is the sole male voice in the household and executive decisions are being feminised ( under protest, smile) 

Camille is learning early the diversity on a small sustainable farm, Quatre is well accustomed to a little bit of goat, a little spell with the sheep and a schedule that varies according to the weather, Gregs inclination and whatever disaster might loom. Both Quatre and Camille have managed to smile their way through the Pacific Northwest gloom and rain, keep smiling as mountains of poop are swept and shovelled and remain smiling as each chore is assigned and re assigned. In a couple of days our young French WOOFER has become a familiar and increasingly confident visitor to the sheep pen. She has laughingly been mobbed by overly friendly ewes and has quickly discovered the benefits of blackmail. Her pockets bulge with carrot chunks and the sheep have not been slow in recognising a new benefactor. Wide eyed she watched in consternation as tiny lambs were banded and tagged and compassionately as a little white lamb with overactive bowls had a dose of Pepto Bismal and a thorough butt wash. Momma is going to have to start doing a better job of child care !  Camille has driven the tractor, rode with experienced ranch foreman WOOFER Quatre and hoody Bran on the quad ( breaking the spead limit and holding onto Brans wavering tail !!)  She has learnt to operate the skill saw, helped construct a Cody( goat kid) escape proof zone, sort of learnt to milk the goat ( a little more practice is required) and learnt to make creamy natural yoghurt. She has struggled with which way up the horse’s head collar fixes, wondered at the size of Lady our huge Shire mare and cautiously learnt to use a hoofpick..( are you SURE it doesn’t hurt?)  Camille has befriended Molly the milk cow and confidently marches into the calf pen to be butted and buffered by Goliath Samson and Delilah as they suck firstly on their bottle and then on anything that stands still..she has also learnt to make a very quick exit from the same stall !

Language is not proving a problem…what we can’t sort out by sign language and verbal ingenuity can be resolved by a quick flip through the English French dictionary….as long as my glasses are handy! Historically France and England have had “issues” ( the hundred years war comes to mind ) but Camille is a charming ambassador for her country and it has been a reminder to me of how many years ago I sat trying to absorb the French language in a classroom very far away from here. It would also appear that we have all been misinformed…French Fries aren’t French..”frites” are French for fries ( or in England, chips), not all French people drink wine, eat frogs legs or l’escargot ( snails). “Alouetta, chantez Alouetta……” isn’t a melodious childrens rhyme, apparently (and I have it on good advice) it would appear that it’s internationally recognised lyrics pertain to plucking the poor little bird ! I’m sure before Camille leaves we will have negated a lot more myths and will understand and enjoy yet another culture.

Well, time to go, these girls can eat cookies faster than I can bake them so I’d better go and break out the baking trays again.

Before I go, today is big brother John’s birthday. Hopefully this is the beginning of a very special phase of his life and we all wish him a happy, birthday and a very happy future. Oh yes and a speedy return to work !!!!

Take care, keep safe, M