Rest Cure

One farmer is off vacationing after a strenuous weekend. There was a much of the usual work, but in addition some fifty-four trees were planted. The picture displays a view from a window over some of the orchard. The plastic tree guards cover some of the new trees.

Spring is showing in buds on the trees. Even some of the more sluggish trees are coming to life. Soon we shall see which failed and died, and will need replacement. On the whole we are fairly confident about the survival rate.

We lost another duck. The corpse was left behind and largely eaten out from a spot near the breast, which strongly suggests that the culprit was an owl. Owls are protected, but even in the absence of legal protections, they are so useful as general nocturnal pest control that it would be foolish to harm them.

The ewes have not yet given birth, but are clearly showing their pregnancies. We are feeding them alfalfa hay for the protein (the pastures are still rather thin) and preparing fencing for when the pastures shall be ready for them to move.