Tangle Tree Ranch

Well, I had to start the furnace again. The plants in the basement needed more heat, than the 37degrees mother nature provided the house with. 

But I am sure we will get summer, sooner or later. So we just put on more clothes and do garden work. I had to put a sweater on one of our little goats, she gets cold with out it.

Right now we are working on the raised beds in the small garden, and they are deeeep. I like to start the early stuff there, but I am seeding carrots tomorrow in one bed.  I hope they will grow long.

Well, it is not the 17th, but in Norge it is. I long home every year for this Day. Some day I will take my family and go home for this Day.

Lambing and kidding is winding down, not great results, so we are finding new bucks for next year.  But lots of cute little once. 

Our daughter and I tilled part of the small North garden, so tomorrow night we will put compost on, and shape the raised beds. Then I plan to cover it in black plastic for a few days, and then plant. I am planting a 3 sisters garden early this year. Corn, squash and beans together. I plan on using Scarlett runner beans, summer squash and early corn. This plot will be right by our drive way, so the red flowers can be enjoyed. Then I think peas, more early squash, onions, leek, some tomatoes, under plastic, and here we go.

This is the last work week at school for me, so work really begins next Monday. I usually run 14 hr days, so I think you understand what I mean.

Spring is here, we have so fare had 2 kids in the kitchen for one night warm up. My Mom from Norway, who do not like goats, could not wake me up, so she looked in the fridge and found the bottle with milk. She fed the cute kids, and even wanted to bring them home for my Dad to see. They where adorable, she said. My Mom who does not like goats, liked our goats. We are moving up in life!!!

Plants are started in our basement, Mom helped with this too. I think she enjoyed helping us, and I can understand why. In my family we help each other out, more gets done that way!! But by me living here in the USA, it is hard for my family to help me, and us help them. Sometimes we are too fare away from each other. So we sure do our best to help when we come together.

But back to our herd increase, we have so fare only lost 1 kid, the mom laid on it!! All lambs are doing well too. Our daughter help with the 7 lambs we have to feed extra, since their mothers do not have enough milk. She like her chore, and wants to bring them in. When the grass gets greener, I am sure she will let them out, she did last year. Even dough the gate open by it self, so she said. Goat kids and children do mix well.

Well, it is sure melting around us, but not fast enough. Right now we can not drive up to our house, so that is no fun. We do this for 3 to 4 days on normal years, but I do think it will be more like a week to 10 days this year. 

There is a lot of snow left, and spring is late this year. We have there for moved our first week of CSA deliveries to the second week of July.  

Spring, right, new snow. That is not spring, or.. Well I guess it is part of spring weather, but we need sun. Our newest lambs need to get out side, but it is a bit nippy for them, so I hope this weekend will give some sun for them. 

I do believe I will open the door for our 40 some hens, so they can get outside and scratch for something. At least get out of the coop.  They just got a new dust bath pan, so our 5 year old daughter and I have spent some time watching them. They are funny to watch.

According to Bob spring is here. Our long hair cat has been outside for 2 days in a row, and that is a sure sign. We have 6 lambs on the ground, and they are doing well. Our goats will not start kidding until around Easter. We have seeded some tomatoes today, and more will be coming. A busy time is a head of us. We have received CSA orders, and hope more will come. 

Well today is Sunday and we spent part of the afternoon getting a very large pickup load of firewood. We heat our house using only wood and have for the last 5 years. With the weather we've had the last few years we use on average about 20 cords of wood per year. Our house is big and drafty, so we made the choice to use a renewable energy source.

We have spent part of the evening making plans for our garden this year. We are adding some fruit and nut trees to our mix. Its going to be fun watching those mature and become productive. We have also come up with a few ideas on how to make transplanting go faster and easier.

We will try to update our blog once a week, until more things starts to happen. Right now we are busy EVERY DAY with snow removal. I like snow, but not wind.[Read More]