The weather has been unseasonably warm lately, but I'm not complaining. The signs of spring are exploding all around us. Wildflowers and trees are blooming. The crab apple, chokecherry, and dogwood trees are a few of the trees. The most interesting though are the wild flowers. This year the wild strawberries are large and plentiful everywhere in meadows and fields. We have found lots of jack in the pulpit on the edge of the forest and painted trillium are common. There are lady slippers everywhere and they too are the largest I have seen in six years. We made a trip to the top of the hill on our property and found wild columbine. We have never seen them before and were excited.
In the last week we have also seen a young female moose at the back of the barn and yesterday we saw a porcupine curled up in a treetop. There are a pair of mallards that I think are nesting on the pond as they are there every morning and I have seen them chasing off other ducks from the property.
Damion's antlers are steadily growing and I'm keeping up on the photo update. The barn swallows are back along side the tree swallows and really make a racket in the barn. But we grin and bear it because they spend so much time swooping and eating small flying insects.
Last Sunday I had a run in with the black flies. One bit me on the back of my hand causing it to swell up into a purple claw. Appropriate because we had lobster for supper the night before for Mother's Day. So now whenever I go for my walk, I wear long pants, long sleeves, gloves, my hat and head netting. I also spray my shoes, pants cuffs and hat with Off and use White Mountain bug repellent on my hands and face. I'm taking no chances and I'm not letting the black flies keep me in the house either.
Extreme protection is only needed when I wander in the woods as there is always a breeze here in the yard and porch and it keeps them at bay. They will be gone in a couple of weeks so I think I can outlast them.
To save some energy and because I love the smell of fresh laundry, I have been hanging my clothes out to dry on the cloths line. This is a double treat as the lilac bush near the cloths line is in full bloom
and the scent fills the air while I'm out hanging the cloths. I have entered the NH Lilac Photographic Contest in the past and will try again this year. I always hope to win 10th prize as in the past it has been a $100 gift Certificate to McDonald's. If I won, I would give it to the van of seniors from Merrimack Nursing Home that come during the summer to sit in the drive and watch the deer.
We are still cleaning up at the farm from the ice storm last winter. Joe cut up the huge pine that was on the back fence so we can get to the repairs and let the herd out back to graze. They wait at the back gate hoping today is the day they can go back there. Soon it will be time for the fawning and the hinds are getting ready. We will need all the pens available so we can separate mothers and fawns from the herd if needed. Last year there was a lot of fighting and biting going on and we were afraid for the little ones in the middle of the ruckus. After the fawns are born the hinds protect them and keep them from the others. The saddest thing was when one hind's fawn died last year, she was so upset and tried to steal others fawns if their mothers were not aggressive enough to chase her away. She spent a lot of time calling for her fawn. I hope all goes better for her this year. I also thought last year that the firstborn fawns would pick on the newest arrivals and then when the hind of the smallest fawn tried to protect it, the older fawn's hind saw that as a threat and the fighting between the females started. So we are going to keep a close eye on birthing order and try to separate new arrivals from the herd for a week or two till they are old enough to avoid these issues.
Spring also brings the nesting instincts out in the poultry. Some of the hens are trying to sit on the eggs and right now we are still gathering them up but I want to find a good sitter and let her hatch a few chicks this spring. Our turkey is laying eggs every day and has begun to brood them. I don't know if the eggs are fertile as the male turkey has not been in her pen for over a month, but she seems to be a good brooder so I'm thinking of getting some fertile eggs and putting them in the nest for her. Although I would like to have more turkeys, I also want her to succeed after all the effort she has put into the sitting. She is such a gentle animal and I was feeling bad because I thought she was so lonely but now she seems much happier as she has a purpose.
I love turkeys.
