Signs of Spring (In the Rockies) by Mommy 1

I grew up where the harbingers of spring were daffodils and irises in February. There were blustery days and rain showers, but usually a gradual but determined effort toward warmth and sunshine.

 This was taken April 2009

Here, in the Rocky Mountains, things can be quite different. It seems that spring comes in scoops and lumps, as if a child had served himself at the dessert bar. We never know what early spring will bring. Yesterday was warm and sunny, a perfectly delightful day and today we had snow and rain and gloom. Though the hours of daylight are increasing, the weather we will experience for the next couple of months could be anything from balmy to frigid.

 April 2009

There are some reliable signs of spring in our home, though. The foremost of these is baby animals in the house. Every spring there is a procession of baby chicks, baby goats, tiny guinea fowl and the occasional fawn, fledgling bird and puppy or kitten. They all wind up in my kitchen or laundry room because they need some comfort that our fickle spring weather cannot reliably give.

Thus far, we have but a lone doeling named Calico...Cali for short. Cali joined us from another herd. Since she came without her mother and two brothers, she has no one to cuddle with when it is cold. The rest of our herd, with their babes still snuggled in their bellies see this wee one as a designing intruder and vehemently resist accepting her into their ranks. So, for now, Cali thinks she is a human baby. She takes her bottle in the kitchen, goes outside for potty breaks and sleeps in a hay lined kennel in the laundry room. She has bonded with Speed and Her Highness. They run and cavort in the yard when it is sunny and later the human kids lie beside their imprisoned caprine friend as she rests in her crate.

Mommy 1 Making Cheese

I am so thankful for the bounty that the Lord has given me. The other babies will be coming soon and with them, the return to rich, nutritious milk and cheese. Already our hens are laying more eggs with their bright orange yolks. Soon we will be planting seeds and preparing the garden to receive the little transplants.The hills will turn green and the elk will return to the calving grounds. Our horses will shed their winter coats and begin to gleam in their new summer coats.
For now though, we are inside, by the fire watching Cali dream dreams of spring.