Well folks, it’s Earth Day, today.
Hopefully.
You see, I’m setting this up ahead of time to automatically post on Earth Day because we’re trying to use as little electricity as possible today. Ideally I’d like to be spending my Earth Day with my toes in the dirt and my head in the clouds…
Unfortunately if the forecast was correct, I am probably sitting in the house, whining about the rain and either reading a book aloud to Jeremy while he draws or banging my head against the wall.
I don’t really expect to make it all day without electricity, no. We have baby chicks that need their heat lamp for survival, and I probably shouldn’t leave my raw goat’s milk in a silenced refrigerator all day… but it’s a start to just unplug everything for a few hours and to avoid the computer for as much of the day as possible.
In addition to attempting to go without electricity, I’ll be running around between raindrops to plant our new cherry trees. We have two of them to plant: Bing and Black Tartarian. Hopefully the weather will break long enough that I can get them in the ground, and hopefully the temperatures will hold so I don’t have to wrap them up in old sheets to keep them happy at night!
Spring has finally sprung here at Tanglewood Farm. The pussy willows are covered in their dramatic yellow pollen. The squill are nodding in the breeze. The gooseberries are getting their itty bitty adorable leaves.
It’s exciting to see all of my perennials yawning back into life – especially the perennial fruits and veggies that I always forget about! The current and blueberry bushes seem to have doubled since last year and the raspberries are thick and strong. We still don’t have any asparagus emerging from their wintery beds, but there are onions and garlic just starting to peak above the soil – some where they planted, and others in mysterious new locations (thank you squirrels!)
One of my favorite things about spring is the emergence of new grass for the livestock. Our sheep got to go out on their grass pasture for the first time yesterday and in order to acclimate them to such lush greens I only allowed it for an hour or so. After luring the ewes back into the barnyard, Gertrude was SO upset that she could no longer get to the grass that she stomped around the whole yard, all four feet at once… *Plomp plomp plomp* she stomped on the ground like she was making a statement. When I laughed at her antics, she stopped, stared at me, and then proceeded to do a sheep cartwheel… I kid you not. She lept into the air, her hind legs over her head, and flipped sideways like a gymnast. I’ve never seen anything like it, nor do I expect I ever will again.
How are you celebrating the Earth today?
Want to read more from Tanglewood Farm? Check out Emily’s blog over at A Pinch of Something Nice where she writes about her experiences with her gardens, her livestock and her leased historical home in SE Michigan.
Emily, it’s a lovely way to celebrate the earth! I was planning on putting out my annual offering to the little goddess (usually a pansy) but it’s cold and rainy again here too. So maybe I’ll do a little baking instead.
People would come to the farm and always want to see the sheep….you’d try to tell them not to stand in the open doorway ’cause sheep do not walk calmly thru doors…we all know they leap and if you’re in the way you are in trouble! Never fails…someone gets knocked down but,fortunately, my city friends are all so enamored with our country life they just laugh. I do so want to get some more lambs this spring. Now that we have a Pyrenees who is most diligent in her job perfomance we wouldn’t be feeding lambs to coyotes for lunch. DEE
Oh my goodness, Gertude’s angry stomping and cartwheel are making me laugh so hard! I’ve always maintained that animals have never acquired human speech, not because they are less evolved then we are, but because they have no trouble expressing themselves without it. Way to get your point across, Gertrude!
I love the story & the actions you are taking! Also have to admit that I love the photos!
Earth Day saw us enjoying our first rhubarb, sauced with a wee bit of sweetener over french toast! And I saw a first spear of asparagus poking up, hurrah! This is our year to eat freely 🙂
And we honoured the passing of my brother who chose earth day as his day to leave us after living with cancer. Fitting as he was a naturalist and gardener. We had hoped to put up the mason bees, and the day finished before we could, so this is on the list for today! We are excited, as this is our first foray into bee keeping.