More news from the farm

Well.... much has happened in the last couple of weeks.

Bekah's b-day ended up very quiet. We had celebrated simply with our family the actual day of her birthday and then we hoped to have our cousin's family over for a party on the weekend. Only problem...... Bekah started vomiting. So much for birthday parties. We scrapped that idea. Thankfully she was the only one who had the flu!!

We have had more snow on and off for a week -- such strange weather this year. We are hopeful that our bee colonies will survive and that the first bloom (dandelions bloom first here) will come quickly for them. Warming to 50 and then dropping to -10 zero makes it hard on the colony to stay warm enough at this time of year.

We had an offer on the house -- it was an okay offer, not what we had hoped but okay. We had to work through some of the details and we are finishing the boundary line stuff. We countered back with some of the details. They are writing a completely new offer which should be submitted again to us this week to look at. We are in prayer for God's will in this. It would be nice to have this off our plate :)

Let's see --- I took a little tumble down the stairs. I came sliding down with one leg in front and one leg underneath and behind. I didn't think I could do the splits!! :) I think I pulled the extensor tendons along the top of my foot into my toes. No major damage -- not even the satisfaction of an enormously swollen, purple, blue and green appendage. Just quite tender. I was extremely grateful Tim was at the bottom of the steps waiting for me -- he quite literally caught me before I did a face-plant at the bottom. The floor down there is concrete. Today I am feeling MUCH better and even able to move my toes some which is great.

Our turkeys have been challenging this year. We have NEVER in the five years we have raised plouts have them so destructive. They just have torn at each other immensely. We have used a coal-tar/tea tree solution that is supposed to make them stop - we have separated them into smaller groups, we have used red lights. Everything we know to do and could get information to do. We have lost eight and another one is looking iffy. I hate to see things die. What a baby, huh? Anyway...... it has been disheartening. They seem to be settling though -- as they feather out the pecking and tearing should stop. I hope so.

I went to Murdoch's yesterday and they gave me 12 more for free so we are basically getting a do-over which is great. These seem to be more at peace and are not tearing at each other. Hopefully the result will be much better as well.

They also (much to Bekah's complete delight) GAVE me two African goslings. They are ENORMOUS and far too cute. My folks raised geese and ducks when I was young. I loved watching them swim, waddle, shake their tails and I had forgotten the sounds of their quacks, honks and whistles. VERY fun!!! Gabrielle sits and whistles back at them -- they look at her and turn their heads from one side to the other -- she doesn't LOOK like a goose :)

When I was young I remember one year my Grandpa Oakley gave Janine and I both goslings. I don't remember the occasion, might have just been an I-Love-you present. We struggled for days over names. Janine ended up naming hers after a character on the new pajamas mom had just sewn for us. I, on the other hand, decided that the best thing in the world to do would be to name my goose after my dad. He was working out of town and I deeply adored him (still do actually!!) He came home for the weekend to find George the Goose wandering about. He asked me if that was REALLY the name I wanted but he didn't dissuade me. At church on Sunday I proudly told my Sunday School teacher that Grandpa had given me a gosling and that I had named mine George after my dad. She laughed SOOOO hard which I could not understand in the least. At the end of Sunday School she found my dad and teased him unmercifully. He turned red-faced but laughed with her and never once made me feel that my actions brought him embarrassment. He was a really good sport.

I had told my kids that story years ago. Gabrielle informed me yesterday that she thought to continue tradition she had named the geese. One is George (the same as I named my goose years ago) The other is Tim, carrying on the tradition for posterity she told me. Like mother - like daughter I suppose.

I don't know that George or Tim will be flattered. Gabrielle thinks it is perfect. We may have to change them when we find out actually what they are -- Georgette??? Timmera??? We'll see...... It should be a fun adventure.

I need to scoot back to my responsibilities. I hope your day is fabulous!