IMBOLC

[Minimum]

Happy Imbolc everyone.

Guess you're all out there planing seeds, delivering lambs, spring cleaning etc.

Today is said to be the end of winter and beginning of spring.

Enjoy!

[spiderman]

Thanks, Mini, spring is indeed sprung. Happy Imbolc to all Celts and indeed all Seilachans, Easdalians and all elsewhere. It is a matter of comic history that Spiderman once had a bit of a fling with the old Celtic lady of winter, the Cailleach, who, on this very date, was/is reborn as Bride, Young Maiden of Spring, fragile yet growing stronger each day as the sun rekindles its fire, and who turns scarcity into abundance. Of her, Alexander Carmichael wrote: "Bride with her white wand is said to breathe life into the mouth of the dead Winter and to bring him to open his eyes to the tears and the smiles, the sighs and the laughter of Spring. The venom of the cold is said to tremble for its safety on Bride’s Day, and to flee for its life on Patrick’s Day." The weather forecast seems to be in tune - a couple of sunny days coming up - let's enjoy the yang following the yin.....

[MA1BOB]

yes indeed, the goats are getting ready for kidding season. The ducks have started setting on eggs and the wife is getting the seeds planted on the sunporch.

The summer and fall were good for the goats so we are expecting a bumper crop of little goats in the next few weeks. Plenty of milk and cheese will be had by the family this year. The children are ready for the icecream machine to come out of the atic and make delightful concoctions on hot days.

Cheers

Bob

[Pentlandpirate]

MA1BOB....Sounds more like the words of C.John Taylor, poet, artist, and composer to me.

[MA1BOB]

You lost me on that one. I have never heard of him but I will look him up. Still not sure why you are refering this poet to me tho.

Cheers

Bob

[Minimum]

Let's not go there chaps. MA 1 BOB you really don't want to know.

As the weather is so good I'm off digging over the veg. plot today. Hope to have a bumper harvest this year too. No sign of snow yet but I expect it wont be long. Who enjoys skiing?

[MA1BOB]

Our veg plot is covered in snow right now. I envy you to be able to go outside and muck about.

We are getting a blast of cold air from Canada for the next 3 days. We had to put out heat lamps for the chickens last night. It looked like the red light district in the henhouse. Our rooster has the life. All he has to do is keep 8 hens happy. Full time job in my opinion.

There is something to be said about sitting in front of the fire with a glass of sherry while the wind is howling outside. Winter will be over soon and back to the gardening we go.

Cheers

Bob

[Minimum]

Nice to hear that you pamper your chickens, MA1BOB. That rooster must think he's in heaven!

Unfortuantely, we've now got the dreaded bird 'flu H5 N1 strain down in England. Finders crossed it doesn't spread far, if at all - we have some free range chickens in this area providing eggs for a good number of locals. It would be a sad day if we have to lose them.

Weather not so good today but managed 4 hours lopping/pruning. Compost is looking good. Daffodils and snowdrops are through. Buds appearing everywhere and the birds are definately excited!

Still waiting for the snow........

[MA1BOB]

We heard about your bout of bird flu that hit the turkey farm. Not good. Hopefully the quarenteen and culling won't reach as far up north as you. I still remember the hoof and mouth desease slaughter a few years back that hit the UK. It was heartbreaking seeing the fires burning across the land.

We are still in the middle of a arctic blast from Canada. They really should keep thier cold weather to themselves. LOL

We are haying up the goats 3 times a day now instead of the normal twice. We put a lot of bedding straw down for them to nestle into. I have a dozen ducks that have decided that it is good to be with the goats right now. We use an old bathtub for watering the animals. It is heated, so right now it is full of ducks taking a sauna bath. Goats are not happy about this.

Wife is going through the seed catalogs planning her garden for the year. She uses graph paper and measures out the whole thing. Then I get the pleasure of plowing up the plot, laying out the row strings. For the life of me I can't figure out why the garden doesn't have the nice little graph squares that her paper has. Last year her graph had a note on the bottom "Some assembly required."

Once the weather breaks I think she wants me to start moving compost and manure from the barn to the plot. This is a fun job had by all.

Cheers

Bob