Playful Goats, Pretty Weeds, & Porch Candlelit Dinner!

 So it has been an official year since I have been on my own with the smaller scale "acre".  The "acre" has now expanded to about three acres, due to Eli and Ellie having horns and playing a little rougher with the sheep and babies (which are not really babies at all anymore....), so I fenced off more field so that everyone could play safely! I have lost a few chickens and gained a few chickens - two got eaten by a dog and one just died of old age (this hen just appeared in the field one day - an old French Black Copper Maran - so old she never laid an egg and she lived her last 10 months in the field with the rest of the girls). Aeon, has been added to the flock and was rescued out of the highway by the lovely Lauren. After stopping traffic on a busy highway, she picked up Aeon Clux who was surrounded by other hens that did not make it... Aeon is happy as can be now and gets along well with the other girls. 

The garden has been planted, and now it is absolutely beautiful! Now is the easy part of weeding here and there, watering, and watching for buds and hoping for the best! I am still not using any pesticides, so decided against planting squash this year as I just don't have the time to get rid of the awful squash bugs naturally...

 This year's garden has the following planted: Green beans, peas, eggplant, okra, several heirloom tomatoes, carrots, beets, radishes, cucumbers, cantaloupes, watermelons, pumpkins, potatoes, banana peppers, jalapenos, purple bell peppers, red & green bell peppers, and herbs - mint, oregano, rosemary, basil, and lavender.

 The birds have such a presence out in the garden....so very beautiful, but they devoured my tomatoes last year! I will have to invest in some netting this year when they start to ripen....

 I was able to sneak into the field and catch Milly and Ellen playing and rolling in the pine straw and leaves. Milly is as strong as the others at this point, she still just has so many skin problems. I have started her on black oil sunflower seeds and probiotics just recently to see if this might help.

 "We're not worthy, we're not worthy..." - to Misty - Ha!

 Sweet little feisty Milly - she just looks so skinny and pitiful to me, but her spunk and strength is great! I just wish she could move past the "homely" look....maybe one of these days she can go shirtless..

 They caught me! Now it is photo shoot time - have you noticed how much they LOVE the camera??

 Ellen has become just as loving as the other babies in the last few months. She used to be so independent and had no need for affection or petting - now she asks for it daily like the others ;)

 Misty looks great, doesn't she??

 .....and here is Cuckoo!

 Misty's eye - she is the biggest ham out here for sure - always up for a good petting session!

 Ellen...

 Misty's wattles...

 Eli is still a little meanie. Stubborn and stingy with attention. Still my little baby boy though!

 Eli and Ellie still are inseparable - always loving on each other and best friends....unless food is around.

 Baby...

 Misty...

 

Time for an awesome porch dinner! Grassfed beef, free range hens, green beans, corn, potatoes, caramelized onions, and a homemade apple cinnamon galette made from the Fabulous Beekman Boys! recipe...