It's spring time at the farm...

Well, as a wonderful birthday surprise, we had our first calf of the year born today. I was thinking back to everything that contributed to making this event possible. You see, the mother of this mother, so the grandmother, (whose name was Gigi) was very ill while pregnant with her calf, now the "new" mother (named Pia). Gigi had contracted a hoof infection that lamed her badly due to the negligence of a neighbour who was pasturing her for the summer. However, her former owner, who was now retired, offered to try to nurse her back to health, though we were advised by the vet that she would not live, would probably abort the calf she carried and would be a all around bad gamble. "Cut your losses!" we were told. However, Stuart, her former owner loved her like a child and cared for her by going out to check her every 2 hours, fed her by hand, removed her refuse every time she messed and treated her like a queen. Do we care for others in our lives like that? As God cares for us? Well, she made it. She limped badly, but was able to give birth to a beautiful calf, who was Pia.

Fast forward to Pia's fiirst birthing experience: She was a nervous mother and did not want to allow her calf to nurse. I was ready to grab the 22, I was so angry at the way she was treating her baby, since she'd kick it anytime it got close. I also knew that if the baby didn't get sustenance in the first "golden hour", it wouldn't do very well, and might even die. So as I waited for my husband to get home from work, so we could chase her into the squeeze and milk her to bottle feed the calf, God gave us more evidence of His love. He sent another, more experienced mother over to her side. Bambi had given birth a few times, and was a gentle soul with a strong maternal instinct. She came alongside Pia and gently knickered and somehow, through moo-speak, a language in which I'm not fluent, made it clear to Pia what was to be done. It was beautiful, since moments later, the calf latched on and it was smooth sailing from there.

So tonight Pia gave birth to her third calf. It's cold out and there's snow everywhere, but we found her baby heifer curled up right beside the hay feeder where the excess hay had fallen to the ground to provide a soft bed, not too different from where my Saviour was born. When we arrived there was a cow nearby, though it didn't seem like the mother, since a mother will never step over her own calf, as this cow did. It was Pia's Aunt Klenora, babysitting. However, as my husband knelt down to give the baby its' boosters, we heard bellowing as Pia came running to ensure that we were doing no harm. Content to see that we were not a danger, she knickered as we worked, then as we backed away, positioned herself as if to say, "this is my baby---mess with her, your mess with me first". Isn't there a Bible verse similar to that. Where God promises that everything that reaches us has to go through Him first? I'll have to check the reference for that.

Truly, for me, farming is a holy experience. I'm no enviromentalist...I let the van run if there's a hockey game on :), but I feel God's presence here on the farm stronger than anywhere else in my life.

Ouch!

So, about 6 years ago, I had a rather energetic day. I not only cut up 14 quart jars of beans to can bean salad, (using the scissors...duh) but I also built a platform as the start of a tree house! Then I was in pain. Major tendonitits!

So, now, whenever I overdue things with my right hand, I'm back in a brace, popping Advil. Lovely. That's what I get for knitting up a pair of slippers in a couple hours. Ouch.

Picasa Web Albums - Kenneth & Heather - Knitting projects for Ravelry

Picasa Web Albums - Kenneth & Heather - Knitting projects for Ravelry

MIA...and all that

So I've been a bit out of it for a while. Our lovely holiday down east did derail our homeschooling for longer than I care to admit, though we were almost back on track until "blam"...Christmas came. So now we're at the end of January and it's time for another holiday. This time just a week or so jaunt to the mountains to regroup after the other holidays. So, as gardening is only in the mind at this time, I have turned my interests to knitting. You really outta' check out my profile on Ravelry and all the beautiful free patterns available on line. So you don't know how to knit? No problem, I'll teach you. I've already taught two people...I'm a pro at this now. Not quite, but I do enjoy sharing my enthusiasm. If I can't play with color in flowers, then I'll play with it in yarn. Now, off I go to add a collar onto my lace shawl...:)

I'm in denial...

Well, I really don't know where the summer has gone! I know I say that every year, but this summer went by super fast! I think Oma's death, Lorraine's wedding, a family reunion and VBS all contributed to a lightening speed summer! Well, I haven't felt much like gardening. I did can some bean salad today, and I froze some black currants, but I'm afraid the peas were a right off and the radishes bloomed beautifully. I really need to walk through with my map and make the necessary comments for each plant and variety. Oh well!

School has started, and as a homeschooling family that means a big change. However, things are off to a great start, and I hope that our 2 week vacation down east won't completely derail us!

The wedding has come and gone...and life goes on!

Well, the wedding is an event of the past...and a beautiful event it was, and life is trying to get back to normal. And no, I couldn't save my dress and ended up buying one.
Last week was spent in Radium, a family reunion of sorts, and now it's once again, catch up time in the garden. I came home to discover that some of my hanging pots were toast...ooop, note to self--make sure the chore boy knows where all the flowers are, and that the potager garden had gone nuts! My peas really missed me and the beans are starting to go nuts. The radishes had started to bloom and some of the lettuce had gone to seed. So now the fun begins. Though, honestly, I don't mind. There is something very soothing about tidying up.
The kids picked blackberries today...under duress. They also picked peas...under duress. Gone are the days when kids just said: "Yes, mom...", and picked the 1.25 mile row of peas, as I did as a child.

Oh well, life goes on... and so does the weeding.

New Familly Members!

I thought I'd missed the chicken-farm boat, but apparently not. Today the kids and I picked up 25 chicks at Miller Nurseries. They are soooooooo cute. We got half Brown Leghorn, (they're orange bits of fluff) and Barred Rock (They're black bits of fluff. So sweet. So this relates to the garden in that they are part of my organic fertilization and pest control program. Wow, does that sound good. Stephan Dion and Al Gore would be so proud. It almost makes me feel like hugging a tree...not so much... I do enjoy watching them scratch their way around the yard, provided that our new puppy doesn't eat them all up!

Well, as the wedding draws nearer, the stress levels build. Actually, it hasn't been too bad, either than "The Great Dress Debacle", otherwise known as my dress. ugh. We're not sure if it's my fault, the patterns fault, or the fabrics fault, but something is not right! The front is beautiful, but the back has too much fabric! Oh well, here's hoping Trudy Jansen can save me! Otherwise it's a-shopping I will go!

Happy Canada Day!

This is the time of year, that I think that I must live in the most beautiful part of the world. Everything is lush and green, the days are warm and the nights are cool. But then I look at my gardening magazines and see an asortment of plants that only grow in zones 5+, and I recall the winter months. So maybe I will retire in Parksville, BC, after all!

Well, so far I've managed to cross many things off my to-do list, though this past week has been so hot, that working outside is confined to after sun-down....like 10:00pm. For some reason, hubby doesn't enjoy this!

The Tanten and Oma have arrived and in prepartion for their coming, the house has been cleaned...as well as it gets in summer, and the birds cage will be refreshed today. I'd rather not be the cause of a major allergy reaction!

The kittens are thriving, except Muffin and family. We think she passed away, probably due to Distemper . However, the other 2 litters are doing fine, so we'll wipe a few tears and carry on. Muffin was my kitten, since her illness disfigured her and made her blind. However, whenever I'd be outside watering, she'd hear my voice and follow me around...blindly. Even though the reason was not nice, the optics were cute!

Now, to get that dress sewn for the wedding...:(

Finally catching up!

Well, on Monday, June 23, I planted my potatoes, and on Wednesday night, after recuperating from a migraine, I planted the corn and peas with Donovan. A little late, to be sure, ...more like a month late! But with Oma's passing and the distractions that this brought, we got a little behind.

My pond pump has finally bit the dust. I bought the kit from Zellers for Ken's Father's Day gift 4 years ago, and have left it in the pond every year since! However, this spring I couldn't find the filter that keeps the pond gunk from entering the motor and it didn't last long. So, I guess i'll have to get a new one of those, since Ken really likes the waterfall.

I had a pleasant surprise on Wednesday, not gardening-related, but kid-related. I had sustained a muscle cramp in my neck on Tuesday, (that was probably gardening related--I'm always lifting things I shouldn't!) and woke up with a wicked migraine on Wednesday. I went back to bed, dreading what the house would look like when I finally got up, but surprise! The boys had taken it upon themselves to clean up both the kitchen and livingroom. They're not for sale anymore:)

Why I garden...continued...

Well, that was an exciting weekend! My cousin's wedding on Saturday, followed by a surprise visit from an out-of-town Aunt and Uncle, followed by my sister's automobile accident in which she totalled her vehicle! I'm so glad that gardening is theraputic.

I've decided that the reason I garden is because it's the perfect combination of art/beauty, a good workout, and science. I love learning the botanical names of the plants and all the other info that makes them wonderful, I definitely can use the exercise, and plants are certainly a gift from God.

So, I'm thinking that this year I'll make up 2 Picasa albums: one strictly informational, with beautiful photos, of course, and the other, more of a diary style. Now, if it would stop raining and I could actually stop gardening long enough to take a few pictures...

Okay, a few more pages of a gardening magazine and my insomnia is history for tonight!

Why I Garden

So, I've been giving this whole gardening compulsion a bit of thought, since when I was a child, gardening was viewed as a form of punishment. I grew up with a garden that was 175 X 150 feet. Which meant that one year, when we calculated the combined length of the rows of peas, they stretched over a 1.25 MILES! As the middle child of 5, I understood the need to raise our own food, though now that I'm a mother, I realize that the need to combat summer holiday boredom was, perhaps, even greater!

So how does one go from viewing gardening as punishment to recognizing it as one of God's gift to man? Good question...something more to ponder as I weed and till and plant and weed and till and plant!

I finished cleaning out the pond today...just a small pond, but a major job. The smell was almost overwhelming! Note to self: clean pond out in May next year, before the algae reaches epic proportions! AND the next time I find a rotten egg at the bottom, someone will be in BIG trouble!

I think I'll go grab the camera and start compiling this year's Picasa Gardening Album...

Welcome to my Earthly Eden

Hello! Welcome to my blog.

It happens every year you know, as surely as Spring arrives, I feel this incredible desire to share my gardening journey with the world. So this time I caved...I have become...a blogger! Ahhhhh!



So here is where I'll brag...bawl...and, of course, bore you to tears, with the minute details of my gardening life...complete with ooodles of pictures. So hang on...here goes the gardening ride of your life!