Goats, Gardens and A Ninja

Been having a goat sleep over since last Friday and hoping for some kids in the fall. Bubba Blue Eyes is the stud of choice... well, for us. Lucy is acting pretty snooty towards Bubba, as usual. 

Banjo loves Bubba, he follows him everywhere grinning. Banjo thinks we've brought him a new buddy to hang out with. At this point, Bubba is happy to have a friend.

Bubba just wants somebody to luuuuuuv. Bubby actually sang to Lucy... yep, I heard him... "Everyday I try and I try and I try - but everybody wants to put me down... find - me - somebody to love..."

Lucy is a dry humor sort of gal and she's partial to Georgia Satellites... she said, "Don't give me no lines and keep your hands to yourself!"

Poor Bubba Love... hang in there Bubba, she'll come around soon.

On to the garden!! We've been putting the barn bedding in nice, neat rows in the yard where we want garden beds. It kills the grass, mulches, the worms process the soil, etc. 

We are experimenting with leaving the bedding and planting through it. Also, removing the bedding after time enough to kill the grass and double digging the dirt. I have a feeling both methods have a place for different plantings.

The garlic is early this year and we'll harvest it in about a month. We've put chicken wire on the freshly planted bed so the chickens leave them alone long enough for the plants to get established.

The strawberries are doing well this year and Arlen has planted some cabbage in the south end of the bed (and a shovel, maybe it'll grow). 

Arlen is watering the pumpkin and squash bed. We are leaving the bedding in these, the vines and leaves will take over and shade out the light from weeds and grass.

Grandpa's Peonies are 'bout to pop and Arlen covered his cabbage with a row cover to keep the bugs off his precious'. 

The iris' are all pretty and blooming.

The grapes are doing amazing this year (funny they do that when you quit moving them around) and the Golden Berries are always happy. 

I ordered some Caroline Red Raspberries. Thinking they came in packs of 5, I only ordered one... and that's what I got... one. It is doing well next to the Golden's but, it's bed is a total mess! Who did that?

She did that!! This is Ninja, our very good mother hen. She drags her brood around and tares the beds to shreds. I go around behind her and rake them all back to neat rows. She returns to mess them up again. 

I decided to make a public announcement hoping the publicity would embarrass her and encourage her to quit. It didn't work, she just ran away.

I tried to get an interview with her but, she gave me the cold shoulder.

I can't repeat what she's saying here.

Oh, and the Rangers are getting HUGE! We decided they poop too much and don't want them sharing a shelter with the sheep (when the sheep get here). The next batch of broilers will live in a mobile chicken tractor that we will move daily. 

Still have to extend the walls on the sheep shelter for better weather protection. Also, need to get the interior fixed up for the bunnies when we get them in about a month. Stay tuned for that.