Author: Siobhan Watters

Spent the better part of my day outside doing stuff and things.  The nature part of it was to get the pond up and running.  I spent some time with a rake lifting the 3 inch carpet of oak leaves so that Jamie could come in and vacuum them up to use in the vegetable garden.  The lilies are up so I can get moving them around because last year it looked more like a jungle than a garden.  I got the filter all cleaned up and the pump running again and for the first time in 2 years I got the water feature to work.  To be clear the waterfall working would be great bet we discovered that some where inside the mortared tubing there is a crack that causes the pond to just lose water.  Last year I bought a spitting turtle and promptly broke his leg so he wasn’t in use.  So this time around I got the turtle repaired and spitting – I like the sound of running water.  The exciting news is that although the fish did not survive there are a few snails that seem to have survived and are busy cleaning the pond sides.  I will go back and adjust tubing and do a final leaf skim in a couple of days once I know the filter is happy.  Pictures are below – whole garden area and then just the wee pond.

  

In the not so nature department I managed to get the Focus up and running, the exterior of both cars cleaned (first time in 6 months) and cleaned out and vacuumed the 4 runner for the first time – man straw can find its way into everything.  I am going to call this weekend a success in the getting stuff done department.

Today has no new pictures to share.  I just spent my 30 minutes sitting on the back step watching the dogs wander around sniffing things and trying to catch tiny little wrens that are much too tiny and quick for the iPad.  I slept away a good portion of the afternoon – which i have decided is a perfectly acceptable way to spend my afternoon.  I think I might try getting the hammock setup on the front porch again, so these naps can take place outside.  Jamie was much more industrious and has chewed through a huge pile of wood debris that was up against the garage from when the pines were taken down.

On a less nature cherishing and more homestead pride way we made our way to the John Deere dealership bright and early this morning and got ourselves (read me) a new lawn tractor.  Those of you who have read this blog know I have a love for Ed my little red tractor but the end of last season Ed’s mower deck suffered a critical injury.  We contemplated putting him down but realized that he could still have a life as a tractor, just not as a lawnmower.  Our intention is to take the mower deck off of Ed and retire him to use him as a little run about cart puller, sweeper etc.  Our new mower has not yet arrived so we have decided to hold off on naming it.  Due date is around Friday this week but as we all know we can’t predict these things.  48″ cutting deck, 22HP 300 series with a Kawasaki engine.   We will post photos when it arrives.

Many of my friends who live South of here have been making these sorts of posts which has made me very jealous.  Today it is my turn…

I have walked about the homestead gathering photos of what I think are some of our signs of Spring.  Hope at least a few can make my friends to the North as jealous as I have been of those in warmer locations.

Our first little flower friends poking up in random places.   
Jamie working on chipping all the downed branches from last Fall/Winter to use as mulch in the orchard and paths in the garden.    

The dogs looking as happy as ever now that it is warm enough for their humans to be outside for hours at a time.  

Gardens getting prepared for the new round of vegetables.         Dorian our young rooster moulting his glorious feathers. 

 

The greenhouse contains little tiny plants destined for the garden in a few weeks.  

The buds on the new Apple trees (okay you are going to have to squint to see themes the iPad camera isn’t that good).

 

And finally a couple shots of flowers that are actually coming up in gardens 🙂   

 

Our hens came to us with bumblefoot. Bumblefoot is a type of infection caused by staph. The infection does not cause typical liquid pus, but a layering of tissue referred to as a kernel. it reminds me of a cheese curd. With serious cases you have to cut the “kernel out of the foot because if it will continue to grow. It is pretty easy to find the kernel because it abrupts as a black scab on the bottom of their foot.

Most have been fine with no intervention but two needed some help from us. Aretha started limping so we cut out her bumble and she seems to be doing well. Bandita has has a longer road to travel. When we first worked on her foot there were two areas were the infection had caused tumour like protrusions between her toes. We managed to get one completely healed but the second had a small tunnel to kernel material we couldn’t get to that we had to leave.

It has been a month and as we suspected and hoped it worked it’s way to the side of her foot where there was a pocket from the first round. Yesterday we went back at it again, and we are fairly certain that this time we got it all out. Of course the next couple days and bandage changes will tell us for sure but we have our fingers crossed. I could gross you out with all the details but I will leave you with two pics…

All the gear set up and ready to go. Yes those are strawberries. We need a good motivator to get her walking right away so we can check the bandage.

And the patient starring suspiciously at us from her towel.