Another beautiful, albeit cool and windy day. Spring is coming even though there was a layer of ice on the water tank again this morning. Along with the dandelions, the plum, peach, and European and Asian pear trees are flowering in the orchard so the bees have plenty of work to do and nectar available even though the apple trees haven't started flowering yet. Honey bees will usually fly on non-rainy days and the temperature is at least 50 degrees F. The orchard looks so beautiful when the fruit trees start flowering. I'm thinking about even increasing its beauty in future years by planting some daffodil bulbs under the trees this fall.
I usually have the brassicas transplanted into the garden by early May and then the tomatoes, eggplant, and peppers by the end of May. Looks like everything is a little delayed this year.
Lambing news: The big ewe I'm waiting to lamb is looking closer. I expect it any day now. One of the lambs from the old ewe was born with "crooked" feet. She bounds around with no problems so I'm hopeful they will straighten out with good mother's milk and a few days of sunshine. It could be caused by a vitamin or selenium deficiency. They aren't warm or swollen so I don't think it is joint ill which could be caused by an infection through the navel after she was born. Joint ill is unlikely since I noticed it immediately after she was born and had put iodine on her navel shortly after birth.
Meanwhile, fencing goes on. I don't mind the cool weather; it's good for working and we've hardly had any of those pesky little black flys that annoy us and the horses this spring.
Hope you get to enjoy the sunshiny day tomorrow.
First photo: peach blossoms
Second photo: Asian pear blossoms
Third photo: The little lamb with the crooked legs.
