This Wool Fix Everything

(not really, but it might help for 10 seconds)

Eat a snack; take a nap; hug a soft thing; find a way to feel joy. You deserve comfort in these anxious times. Make sure you make space for something soothing today.

— Juliet, who is always a balm

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Here’s What’s Happening At Good Spirits Farm

Remember that nice new fence we had put in this fall? Well, a tree fell on it. We’ve had rain for days here. A big gust of wind convinced an old oak on the neighbor’s property that this was all just too much (relatable). Unfortunately, it wasn’t going down alone and took our fence with it. The bright side is that the critters were in another field, so no sheep went on the lam (sorry) once the fence was down. But: we’ll have to add fixing the fence to our never-ending to-do list.

This week, the maple trees emerged from their winter slumber, with tiny blossoms showing their fuzzy faces to the world. Our bees are rejoicing, as they have not tasted a nibble of pollen since the goldenrod last fall. They’re buzzing about, happy to stretch their wings after a winter spent in their hive. We’re breathing a sigh of relief, too — it appears we’ve gotten all of our hives successfully through the winter.

I have ordered the parts to begin construction on a new “Eggmobile” for our laying hens. This will essentially be a mobile coop that roves our fields, distributing chicken poop fertilizer as it goes. Our hope is to have the chickens follow the cows and sheep in our pasture rotations. The chickens love to scratch through cow patties, eating fly larvae. That means free protein for them and fewer flies bothering us! The drawback, though, is the more things that have to get moved every day, the more onerous daily chores become. I’ve dragged my feet on the mobile coop, not wanting to add anything to my already packed schedule, but it’s time. We have enough chickens now that they truly are impacting the ground around our current coop—and our fields really could use the nitrogen.

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Here’s What I Loved This Week

Big sisters! I broke the camera on my phone about a month ago—which has seriously crimped my style with taking farm pics and videos. Life out in rural America can feel pretty lonely. As sad as it sounds, sharing tiny bits of my farm life with strangers on the Internet has made me feel more connected to others. My big sister, who has been looking out for me since day one, sent me a phone she no longer needed. I’m back in business on Instagram and Twitter! Sheepie pics for everyone!