The Poetic Spring Dance

As I begin my day which typically starts with my usual farm chores, I felt a kiss of sun on my neck. Such a welcome sensation, as the wind has been blowing mercilessly with freezing and cold. If you have done any measure of trying to house an animal outside, you know the colder it is the harder it is. My typical morning usually starts with me lugging a full 5 gallon bucket of water from my bathroom to the animal watering stations. There is so much to say about all of this process alone, but alas I digress. Perhaps another blog for another day. However, I didn't have to lug that 5 gallon bucket today. I tip my hat to you spring.

Afterward, I let my momma and baby goat out to forage around. It's always such a delight to see them frolic and play. Even more so today as they weren't shivering off the frosty breath of winter. I then gather their feed. Since mom just had baby she gets a special blend of food.

Then it is time to put them in their goat shed and allow my big papa goat to forage. He is much more challenging as he was never debudded (hornless). So what he sees as play sometimes have me scolding him for being naughty and destructive. He is still the sweetest boy around. He enjoys himself much less since mom had their kid, but he is in a shed adjacent to theirs. Sometimes this means the transition from him to the chickens is seamless. Other days it looks like a regular rodeo. Usually with me resembling more of a rodeo clown than a confident cowboy.

Once this is done, I get to move to my beautiful ladies. Their song of, "feed me woman" and excitement bppming through the yard, as they rush the door of the chicken run. Excited as a kid at Christmas for theirnchicken scratch, regular feed and their glorious meal worms. Once fed and watered I collect a beautiful assortment of eggs in the most gorgeous colors; olive, blue, brown, beige, and almost a salmon color. Stunning!!! Keep up the incredible work my wonderful ladies.

As I bring the eggs in I get to tend to what has been dubbed, "Spicy Kitty" as she is a typical barn cat. Not friendly, but keeps pests out of the house and the feed. She's a brilliant smokey grey color and a tiny little gal, but don't be fooled, she sure can pack a wallop.

After the morningly spicy kitty smack down, I water and feed the quail and watch them in their incredibly tranquil way of living. Then it's time to check the incubating eggs for temp and humidity. I then tend to the new ducks and turkeys. The last ones at Big R that I just couldn't live without. I mean who actually leaves a last 2 of anything? You know I had to take them home, or at least that'smy story and I am sticking to it.

Turkeys as babies are a real delight. So sweet and loving. Very affectionate and happy to see you. Ducks on the other hand, well ducks are like the kid in class that was always in trouble. They splash. They are noisy. They are stinky. They are so messy it's unreal. However, there is something about their mischievous ways that will always suck you in. Not to mention these Cayuga ducks are stunning. Their coloring is impeccable.

Then it's off to tend to my plant starts and mushrooms which has gotten easier and more challenging all at the same time. There are a couple popular memes coming to my mind. "I am having a breakdown I can't take anymore" also me "I want to make all my food from scratch, get a goat, maybe a pig, get chickens, start a farm" and the other one is, "my plant died. Did I not give you light? Too much light? Over water? Under water? Bad soil? Why oh why did you die?" These both kind of have become mantras around here.

After all of that, I get back to the real world, and get the kids up and ready for school. My toddler and I come home and manage the dogs and my new fowl. We sometimes let the goats forage more. I do housework, sometimes when I am super lucky I can make progress for the upcoming garden.

I know it sounds like so much work to get through my morning depending on who is reading this, but it's not for me. Not when something like this fills you with so much joy. Not when it literally makes your heart sing. Not when you are in love with the life you are building. How does this tie into spring? Oh spring my extraordinary companion. You bring us chirping birds, new life, days where the sin steals a kiss. You bring us out of our winter and bring us into summer. You are the breath of life. Let us waltz this beautiful dance of making new life together in a symbiosis that puts the struggle of winter behind us. Yes this is the poetic dance of spring. Being able to freely move without my 5 gallon bucket. Being able to frolic and play with the goats. Being able to revel in the assortment of egg colors before me. Being able to open the door for spicy kitty. Being able to let my quail sunbathe. Being able to take my new babies outside for some sun. Being able to see the excites hopeful faces of my children before school as they already know today's going to be a good day. Being able to manage my homestead with my toddler.

So happy to see my old friend spring return. I will always say yes to your dance into the life of gardens, animals, and nature.