{"id":1428,"date":"2019-03-25T13:48:13","date_gmt":"2019-03-25T20:48:13","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/stevenshomestead.com\/?p=1428"},"modified":"2019-03-25T13:48:13","modified_gmt":"2019-03-25T20:48:13","slug":"early-spring-on-the-homestead","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/stevenshomestead.com\/?p=1428","title":{"rendered":"Early Spring on the Homestead"},"content":{"rendered":"

We’ve had some really nice weather lately – temperatures in the high fifties and sixties and sunshine, glorious sunshine!\u00a0 We’ve been able to spend A LOT of time outside.\u00a0 My kids have freckles and I’m even getting tan!<\/p>\n

The kids have been helping with farm chores and loving the animals.<\/p>\n

Here are the sheep – Taleggio and Phoenix – waiting for breakfast and to be let out of their sheep shed in the morning.\u00a0 I’m sure they are baa’ing at me!!<\/p>\n

Here’s our greenhouse!\u00a0 Our neighbor, BriAnn, planted up a storm.\u00a0 Mine are the ones on the far table with the multicolored popcicle sticks…<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

which, by the way, are painted and the paint does bleed into the dirt.\u00a0 Rainbow seedlings!\u00a0 \u00a0The rest are hers! I planted broccoli, cucumbers, and two different kinds of tomatoes – cherry and beefsteak.<\/p>\n

BriAnn has peppers, corn, carrots, beans, zucchini, some lettuce, and cabbage… and a few others I’m sure I’m forgetting.\u00a0 She’s hoping to have some starts for sale at our farmstand, and Makers and Growers Markets\u00a0<\/a>\u00a0(see link for details).<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The alpacas have been happy with the sunny and warmer weather, too!\u00a0 They’ve been grazing a lot and eating less hay.\u00a0 They still are not interested in cooperating with me about getting their halters on and being handled… but they will come and stay close to me while I clean up their poop.\u00a0 Sometimes, they even stand single file.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

When the wind blows through the hay feeder in the alpaca field, it blows the lighter pieces all around the feeder.\u00a0 Now that the grass is finally starting to grow again, we need to rake up the hay so that it gets sunlight.\u00a0 Braden helped me get it into piles… sort of.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

He loves to help!<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

When Taleggio and Phoenix first got here, they were totally comfortable with me… but nervous around kids and men… they didn’t get much exposure to either on the sheep farm.\u00a0 Now they love the kids.\u00a0 Partly because the kids know not to RUN at the them, even if they’re excited, but also because they’ve had good experiences with scratches and loves.\u00a0 Here are Hattie and Nora getting some sheep love.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Awww…. Taleggio… I love your face! \ud83d\ude42\u00a0<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Phoenix came in to get some love, too!<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Nora loves to say hi to the alpacas, too.\u00a0 They love kids, and are skittish around adults.\u00a0 <\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Zoe is so sweet with the kids. \ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

See???!!! Spring Really Is Coming! \ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n

Sidewalk chalk on the patio.\u00a0 Hattie added some special dandelion touches.<\/p>\n

And here’s Braden… fixing his truck.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Nora is the 3rd redhead child to love this truck.\u00a0 It came from a very good friend who has a redhead boy who outgrew it… Braden loves it, still, and now Nora, too!<\/p>\n

Here’s Hattie’s drawing of an alpaca! \ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n

And Nora just wanted to have her picture taken!\u00a0 How can I say no to that face?!\u00a0<\/p>\n

Lunch outside?! Alpaca lunch! \ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n

More signs of Spring! \ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n

Cute cousins!\u00a0 Both 2013 babies, nine months (and several inches, and lots of pounds!) between these two.\u00a0 I hope they’re this close forever. <\/p>\n

And… one of the sweetest monents in that day!\u00a0 My kids, all snuggled up with Becca (Taleggio and Phoenix’s mom) in the sheep shed, looking at pictures of sheep and hearing sheep stories, with Taleggio and Phoenix in the foreground having their snack! \ud83d\ude42\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

We’ve had some really nice weather lately – temperatures in the high fifties and sixties and sunshine, glorious sunshine!\u00a0 We’ve been able to spend A LOT of time outside.\u00a0 My kids have freckles and I’m even getting tan! The kids have been helping with farm chores and loving the animals. Here are the sheep – Taleggio and Phoenix – waiting for breakfast and to be let out of their sheep shed in the morning.\u00a0 I’m sure they are baa’ing at me!! Here’s our greenhouse!\u00a0 Our neighbor, BriAnn, planted up a storm.\u00a0 Mine are the ones on the far table with the multicolored popcicle sticks… which, by the way, are painted and the paint does bleed into the dirt.\u00a0 Rainbow seedlings!\u00a0 \u00a0The rest are hers! I planted broccoli, cucumbers, and two different kinds of tomatoes – cherry and beefsteak. BriAnn has peppers, corn, carrots, beans, zucchini, some lettuce, and cabbage… and a few others I’m sure I’m forgetting.\u00a0 She’s hoping to have some starts for sale at our farmstand, and Makers and Growers Markets\u00a0\u00a0(see link for details).   The alpacas have been happy with the sunny and warmer weather, too!\u00a0 They’ve been grazing a lot and eating less hay.\u00a0 They still are not interested in cooperating with me about getting their halters on and being handled… but they will come and stay close to me while I clean up their poop.\u00a0 Sometimes, they even stand single file. When the wind blows through the hay feeder in the alpaca field, it blows the lighter pieces all around the feeder.\u00a0 Now that the grass is finally starting to grow again, we need to rake up the hay so that it gets sunlight.\u00a0 Braden helped me get it into piles… sort of. He loves to help!   When Taleggio and Phoenix first got here, they were totally comfortable with me… but nervous around kids and men… they didn’t get much exposure to either on the sheep farm.\u00a0 Now they love the kids.\u00a0 Partly because the kids know not to RUN at the them, even if they’re excited, but also because they’ve had good experiences with scratches and loves.\u00a0 Here are Hattie and Nora getting some sheep love. Awww…. Taleggio… I love your face! \ud83d\ude42\u00a0   Phoenix came in to get some love, too! Nora loves to say hi to the alpacas, too.\u00a0 They love kids, and are skittish around adults.\u00a0 Zoe is so sweet with the kids. \ud83d\ude42 See???!!! Spring Really Is Coming! \ud83d\ude42 Sidewalk chalk on the patio.\u00a0 Hattie added some special dandelion touches. And here’s Braden… fixing his truck.\u00a0\u00a0 Nora is the 3rd redhead child to love this truck.\u00a0 It came from a very good friend who has a redhead boy who outgrew it… Braden loves it, still, and now Nora, too! Here’s Hattie’s drawing of an alpaca! \ud83d\ude42 And Nora just wanted to have her picture taken!\u00a0 How can I say no to that face?!\u00a0 Lunch outside?! Alpaca lunch! \ud83d\ude42 More signs of Spring! \ud83d\ude42 Cute cousins!\u00a0 Both 2013 babies, nine months (and several inches, and lots of pounds!) between these two.\u00a0 I hope they’re this close forever. And… one of the sweetest monents in that day!\u00a0 My kids, all snuggled up with Becca (Taleggio and Phoenix’s mom) in the sheep shed, looking at pictures of sheep and hearing sheep stories, with Taleggio and Phoenix in the foreground having their snack! \ud83d\ude42\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0},"categories":[6,8,21,25,27,28,31,34,38,44,48],"tags":[61,64,112,118,130,131,160,161,220,222,223,224,225,226,236,253],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/stevenshomestead.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1428"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/stevenshomestead.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/stevenshomestead.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stevenshomestead.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stevenshomestead.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1428"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/stevenshomestead.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1428\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/stevenshomestead.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1428"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stevenshomestead.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1428"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stevenshomestead.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1428"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}