This spring has been particularly busy for us.  I’ve been volunteering at Juniper Moon Farm, Paul has been working on the Lambcam as well as his regular job (which has him in Arizona during the week), we’re trying to wrap up and review school work for the year, and we’re desperately hoping to move.

The chickens have decided to be very unhelpful by refusing to stay inside their fencing.  They’ve taken to flying right out and grazing wherever they please.  To make matters worse, I can’t find where they are laying their eggs, because they’re certainly not laying them in the coop anymore.

Since the bigger animals are at Susie’s I am in the process today of cutting apart the larger sections of fencing and re-working a smaller (and hopefully more secure) pen that will force them to stay closer to the coop.  It’s frustrating work but I hope it will be a good fix, at least temporarily.  I can’t have them free – ranging right now; there’s no protection from predators, and I don’t want a repeat of last year’s losses to foxes.

Last night we stayed at the farm to help Susie and Caroline, in hopes that one of the sheep would lamb overnight.

We weren’t disappointed.  Though the sheep I was waiting on did not deliver, another one did, this morning.  Neve was the first out, and I got outside in time to see her helping Susie carry the newborn lambs into the barn.

My little Shepherd-in-training.  I could not have been more proud.

This is Neve holding Wren, my favorite little bottle – baby.  I just adore that little lamb!

We’re chugging through our schoolwork now and I am not allowing myself to stress out too much over it.  We got behind because I was following my own philosophy that I would not fly through lessons – that I would make sure they knew it inside and out before moving on.  Fortunately I have the luxury to work one on on to catch up over the next month or two.

As far as moving to our very own farm we are still playing a waiting game.  I am trying to stay positive, but I will say it’s starting to wear on me rather badly, and I am having trouble being optimistic that we will be able to pull it off.  I don’t want to contemplate the possibility that it won’t work out – it’s just too awful to think of.  This property is just not workable for animals and if I’m going to make a go at farming, we have to move.

We’re waiting on a lot of factors beyond our control right now, so I don’t know how much longer it will be before we know.  Keep your fingers crossed.