Sweet sisters and spring activities...

My sister Diane, known as Dicy, would have celebrated her birthday May 13th if she were still trodding this good earth. Some of her ashes are mingled under the crab apple tree in my front yard. Every year during her birthday time this garden is a riot of tulips and daffodils. Sometimes the apple tree blooms at the same time, and it's quite a sight.  This year I have a statue of a cherub on a dolphin that once belonged to Dicy, and now rides joyously over the blooms.

On her birthday this year, while we were busily working, a van pulled up in the driveway and a woman hopped out and delivered some beautiful bouquets. 

One for Rachel and one for me, from sister Donna, in celebration of all our recent spring birthdays and in honor of the much-missed Dicy. My eyes leaked a little. 

Sister Deb recently experimented making a souffle. She said that despite the reputation of being tricky to make, it wasn't, but it was delicious. Since I have a steady supply of fresh eggs from my flock of hens, she thought it would be good for me to learn to make them, too. Friday my sweet mail delivery lady trotted up my path with a box. 

A souffle pan of my own!  The gauntlet has been thrown, I must now learn to make eggy, puffy, cheesy delishiouness. I can hardly wait. My sisters are generous, thoughtful and fun.

Meanwhile, as spring progresses it is marked in annual farm functions. We moved the broiler chicks from their cozy hut in the garage to a chicken tractor outside. Chicken tractors are portable housing that can be moved every day or two, giving the birds fresh ground. Ours is made out of two 16' long fence panels, fastened at the top to create a long tent-like structure. A tarp is zip tied on to provide shelter and shade, and one person can drag it around fairly easily. The very first night we moved the little things out was heralded with gusty winds and a downpour of rain, but with their heat lamp going and plenty of food and water they were fine. It is fun to watch them waddling around in the grass, sprawling out to soak up the sun, taking dust baths in the garden. At night we herd them back to the tractor to keep them safe. Bravo has become quite helpful at encouraging the fat things to "go to bed," at night. 

He loves helping round them up, and is most pleased with himself when the last chick is safely tucked in. 

Our generous neighbors allow us to use some of their land to graze the donkeys and goats on in the warm months. We have been working on getting the electric fence up and tight for the year. We hope to finish this job today. Wonderful Marion stopped by to help us last week. We wanted to enclose a little of the scrubby bushes in the fence, because the animals will do a great job clearing up brush, and it will provide them with some needed shade. A few old trees had fallen and were leaning perilously near our fence. With chainsaw in hand she made quick work of the dead wood and cleared a path for new fence to go up. I pretended to help, but really it was all her. 

The goats will think they are in heaven with shrubby to nibble on. I can hardly wait to show them the bounty that awaits. 

Gardening goddess Brenda spent a few hours here working in my flower beds. When I weed a garden it looks nice for a week or so, but then the weeds come right back. When Brenda works her magic, the weeds dare not reappear for months, or even entire seasons. She has a tendency to bring plants from her garden when she comes, and tucks them in here and there. These little dwarf Iris are some of the first things to bloom here in the spring, and were gifts from her. She leaves beauty in her wake, and I am so grateful. 

Although we had frost on the grass this morning, spring is blooming all around us, and it is good.