Happy Easter!!! April Fools Day too! Tomorrow my oldest daughter will be 29 years old.....as Alexis said too close to 30. I can hardly believe she is going to be 29....Happy Birthday Alexis!!! We have been super busy bottle feeding kid goats and of course milking goats. Seems like April and May and September and October are the BUSIEST times of the year on a farm. April and May you have seedlings, plantings, birthing, MORE eggs from the chickens, school projects, changes in the laundry from having both seasons of clothes at the same time, being cold in the morning and warm by the afternoon. Time to open the hives, getting ready to get bee packages, splitting colonies, setting up new hive body boxes, hive body painting contest time, the end of the cold weather crops like kale, collards, and broccoli, cabbage......and making sauerkraut, freezing the kale, the collards and broccoli for the summer and fall. Strawberry season, then blackberry season. Yard clean up time from the winter and building new garden beds.....like I said April and May the busiest. July here is also a very busy month for canning, from potatoes to tomatoes, blueberries to figs. September and October are also among the busiest of the year. Of course in all these times I am also getting ready for markets, shows, etc..... but like Bruce says I wouldn't have it anyway. Although sometimes I just need a BREAK! Or even just the pressures of not having deadlines and so much to do.
Oh its tick season too which is always a time to be alert as we spend a lot of time outside.
As I said before the high tunnel is ready for planting Bruce has been hooking up the water lines, and he has built me more planting boxes.
The radishes are up
These are the radishes in the planting boxes
This Easter morning we took a morning hike in Millpond which is always beautiful and I tell it just renews the soul.
Since I spend a lot time hiking well at least when I can I see all the changes in the trees, the water, the plants.....which all are so amazing....we are all so blessed to live on such an amazing planet.
Saturday was an excellent beautiful day at the market....we have all welcomed new market vendors into our market family and of course always love to see new people at the market. I had a lot of the regulars, and new customers. It always make me soooo super duper happy when they buy on of my art bags....which I know I don't get a lot done much anymore...but I tell you with all of my work I put my heART into whatever it is.......whether painting, soaping, jamming, or just growing seedlings. Everything does well with LOVE!
At the Smithfield Farmers Market Saturday the Smithfield "Pig" showed up for Easter, handed out Easter ears, and little pigs.
At the market when the pig showed up
of course it was cold at the beginning of the market thank goodness we had our Mr. Heater to keep us warm because believe it or not it is cold under the tents.
The Smithfield Farmers Market Pig
These are the little "bunny honey" pots my aunt brought for me to sell they are so adorable. It was a great Easter Market
the baby goats have been having a ball running and jumping as you can see in the pasture all the branches and tree limbs as we lost several trees in the beginning of March for that Northeaster which was on a Friday and I have yet told that story....Colten has been using the chainsaw cutting up all the limbs and branches and then burning the pile at night while all the goats are put up for the night.
This was in 2016 when one of my favorite little girls at the market bought one of my painted bags. She still comes today and is always talks to me and tells me new stuff, she even bought one of my journals. I tell her she's one of my biggest fans. Her my has really supported us over the years....THANK YOU! This year makes our fourth season at Smithfield Farmers Market.
Of course for Easter the boys always like to dye eggs I set them outside so they don't make a mess as boys will be boys and of course it was to nice of day, you can see our chickens and coop in the background
Cooper and Dusty dye eggs for Easter
Easter egg dying with boys is always FUN......its best to be outside, LOL!
More pics of the soap curing
Bee frames as these couple of days have been nice enough to check the hives
A collage of the happenings bee frames full of honey and bee two excellent things to see this time of year, the garden cart I have had since like 1995 I repainted with that plastic paint you buy at Lowe's and more frames building for the bees as this time of year you have to be ready for the nectar flow
This weekend coming up we will be the Smithfield Farmers Market from 9-12 noon in Smithfield Virginia
I hope everyone had an awesome Easter, my aunt came out and I baked her a Smithfield honey glazed ham per her request....and of course the boys LOVED it. I also made mashed potatoes, and cornbread, collards and for dessert they all ate some of their Easter candy which I only bought a little. My neighbor Linda brought me over a money plant of a Jade plant and my aunt brought me a flag with a bee on it for my greenhouse flag holder. This week I am hoping to get more planting done and get some of the hive bodies painted for the new packages coming soon. The boys are SPRING BREAK! They are super excited about it. Have a great week!
Dawn Gallop
Alexis just sent me these adorable pics of Ledger with his Easter bunny
Ledge with his Easter basket....his first Easter! Happy Easter Ledger!!
Also don't forget the classes at Wine and Cake Hobbies in Norfolk Virginia
April 17, 2018 is the first one coming up. I have an aged cheese to share and some other cheese recipes. Come join us if you can.
April 17, 2018 is the first one coming up. I have an aged cheese to share and some other cheese recipes. Come join us if you can.
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