In-side the cloud

Yesterday the warmth brought a heavy mist and I worked within the cottony echoey warmth of a wet cloud all day.

The pigs loved the misty warm weather – they were outside in their field almost all day.

The view from the clothes line – everything is gone.

This is the view to the North.

Even the tiny feet of the chickens have turned their field to mud. But that’s OK – in the spring three of these little fields will be locked up and resown in my special pasture cocktail for late summer feed.

I am introducing even more edible flowers this year in the hope of attracting more wild bees. Plus – did I tell you I am also going to make mason bee homes. And secrete them about the farm. And I may even buy in some cocoons once I have finished my reading. (My neighbour gave me a good book in the summer).  If I cannot have my own honey bees I intend to encourage the solitary native bees for pollination. There are a number of native bees that are great pollinators and because they are natives they are even better pollinators than the honey focused honey bee.  Do you know of any good little mason bee houses?

There is even a native bee that just pollinates squash plants.

My research continues.

Did I tell you I have called this cat Moon.  He is very friendly now.

Soon I will take Moon and That Cat to the vet for their castrations or we will have nothing but cat fights all spring.

There is  thunder and lightening and raining ice pellets hard on the roof  this morning.  The windows are still dark so it is hard to know exactly what is going on but the clouds must be still low for it to be so dark still. I don’t know when the weather service changed the name of freezing rain to ice pellets. I think the description is interchangeable.  But even without the names it hurts when the ice is raining on your face and the ice will be building back up. The barn doors will stay closed again today. I turn all the lights on inside the barn on days like this so we are not working in the dark but we all still hate to be locked in. But a good day for cleaning animal bedrooms.

The weather has a huge influence on farming. This is a little business with no roof and a lot more of this unusual winter ahead of us.

I hope you have a good day.

Love celi