dust bunny and lamb meat

I realize that most of my blogs are just a reflection about how fast time is flying. That's probably because whenever I sit down to write, I think - geez, is it 2/20 already? Holy crap! Spring is just around the corner.

Although right now, you would not believe that bright sunny days in the balmy 50 degree rainy spring could be anytime soon, these 20 degree-wind chilling through to the bone- days aren't going to last much longer... well, I hope.
We are keeping busy around here inside, but Pepper the puppy is really stir crazy with the winter blues.
The first dormant oil spray has been laid down on the apples, peaches, pears, and plums and I'm hoping that we'll have another mild and late frost-free spring like last year, although I'm not holding my breath.
Our seedlings are about ready for bigger pots as watering seems to never ending now and planting in the ground seems like a far off dream. I ordered a greenhouse online, a dream of mine to have a tropical oasis to hold me over through the terrible Ohio winters, but one day after putting it together, a terrible wind storm came by and put it in the neighbors field. I guess three inch stakes into not really frozen ground is not a good idea? Geez. The directions should have said that...

Rebuilding in progress.

A few of the garlic cloves heaved out of the soil during the two days of 60 degree weather and they have little roots growing in and a little green stalk poking through.

I am getting pretty antsy for this year's pigs. We had a lot of fun with them last year and they are completely and utterly delicious. The sausage cooks up perfectly for breakfast, the ribs slathered in grandma's bbq sauce were to die for, and the pork chops and bacon are divine. We cooked a ham in a cider glaze from our cider pressing frenzy and I'm getting hungry just thinking about it.
I also recently discovered a love for lamb meat as well. Believing firmly in the -try before you buy- theory, I decided to try a couple lamb steaks just to see if it was worth it to get some grass fed lamb this year.
The answer is easily YES as the sweet meat just melted into deliciousness with every bite. The question now is what breed to choose. Poor Crystal our lonely Jacob sheep has a new fear look in her eye as I just picture rack of lamb... although weighing in at about 40 lbs she probably will not end of up a dinner table anytime soon. We are working on spinning her wool and with a new Angora bunny from DustBunni English Angoras.

Now I am curious about goat meat and while Jason swears that we can't eat anything that we've already named, I'm wondering if it's an acquired taste or have I deliciously overlooked it like lamb, but nowhere around here sells just one goat steak. The butcher offered to sell me a whole goat to which I replied, no thanks I already have one.

We did recently pick up a fainting goat buck from NW Ohio. He is black and tan with a big beard and no horns. We named him Omar and he's still learning where the electric fence is and how it works. Every time he gets it wrong and leaves the pasture, Pepper is more than happy to put him back in his place. I did see him stiffen up once from excitement and we're hoping for some great kids with marbled blue eyes and delicious goat milk and cheese coming up soon.

My house is aliiiiive

It's hard to sleep now. Spring is rushing towards us at an alarming rate. The rain was patting the ice off the roof early this morning and the first step outside just squished in the mud. I love the smell of fresh mud after the rain and it seems like the grass takes a beating from which it will never recover from in between the frost every morning and the barrage of moisture from snow melts and spring rains.

My house makes noises at night. It's alive now with beer bubbling, rabbits drinking, quail hatching, and seedlings sprouting. My morning rituals are getting more involved now with spraying down the flats of basil sprouting in every window of the house and turning the eggs slowly warmed in the incubator. We added an angora rabbit to the mix just recently and we hope to have some of the best scarves by next winter... or at least some fiber to spin to get through the long dark days of January.

The sun is stretching across the horizon, the goats are fully utilizing their fenced off pasture and pepper is barking and chasing around everything that moves.

I know it's still February but with 60 degree days it's really hard not to think that spring is in the air.

Let's talk about the weather

It's 17 degrees outside today. There's a woodpecker right outside my window that is tapping and it kinda sounds like ice slowly melting and dripping off the slate roof. Perhaps that's just my hopes running off with my imagination. It is still nice to look outside and even though everything is brown and white, the little red headed woodpecker is working over the old apple tree for it's winter breakfast.

Today, I kinda feel like I'm always pushing the seasons to change faster, like the four seasons should be condensed and not drag on for so long. Perhaps it's just that winter doesn't seem so exciting after the holidays.

The first snow that pummeled down on in the new year lent well to building giant snowmen in the front yard. My sister and Travis made a huge snowman in browns gear and a green snow gator. Jason and I made a very disproportionate snowman (we forgot the proper way to roll snowman balls) with a huge center and a tiny base. We made a little snow dog for our snowman to stand next to with one ear up and one ear down, just like pepper.
The snowmen have been up for weeks, with their facial expressions changing as their pine branch eyebrows were moved by the wind and their bodies started to slump over in that brief warm spell, making them look like they are peering through the windows.

My new thing is sitting on craigslist and seeing what people are getting rid of. Recently, I got a little rabbit for free along with a couple pairs of silkie roosters from a 4H project who recently discovered that there's not always a 50/50 chance that you'll hatch a girl.

It is amazing what people are getting rid of... One man's trash is another mans treasure --- or at least something to do until it warms up outside.

winter is plodding along

So I'm actually surprised to find that winter is plodding along at a decent pace. It's the 13th of January and i feel like the sun is slowly pulling us closer to summertime. Granted, it's still dark by 5:30, but at least feel like I'm getting a bit of Vitamin D during the day.

I put the garlic in the ground in the snow, Siberian, white striped, red toch, music pink, and another type that's escaping my mind today. I know you're supposed to plant them in the fall,

but life eternally gets away from me and the fall time is for falling back and making a game plan... and of course watching the Sunday afternoon games. I feel like just now, I'm starting to get a handle on where we're going with this year, and yes, it does take me the whole month of January to make up my new years resolutions.

We also made some cider before the holidays swept us away, pretty much just clearing out the old apples after the snow had knocked them all down. The shock in our hands was frighteningly painful, but we are all happily working up a sweat under ten layer, just thinking of hard apple cider, apple brandy, and whatever else we can do to make it deliciously alcoholic.

It turned out to be quite a process, but with a lot of people helping, is seemed like more fun than work. Well... at least for the people who weren't washing the apples with freezing cold water. and yes, that is snow in the pictures.

So far, I've already put in an order of peeps to be delivered Feb 16th and an order of seeds to come at the end of January. Soon we'll be starting the pepper and celery seeds and I'm happy now to have my sister home from Florida, albeit freezing here with us, but happy to help with the gardens and other events around the park.

This is going to be a great year. I can't wait to get started!