What a month...

We've been putting up fencing what feels like non-stop over the last month.  As much as I love having portable mesh electric fencing, picking it all up and moving it across the property to a different spot with the sheep still IN it...is...well...challenging.  More than once I've had sheep breaks and had to chase them all over the place (including Crazy Neighbors property) to get them where I wanted them.  Not fun with 24 wild woolly sheep.  Not.fun.at.all. It really gives me a whole new respect for those serious sheep farmers with 100's or 1000's of sheep to wrangle.  This morning I spent two hours reconfiguring fence to try and keep them contained.  It helps that they are contained within a fenced in pasture...so when they knock the mesh down (and they do) they are at least inside another perimeter.  I can't figure out where the fence is grounding out...I had to replace our old charger yesterday thanks to violent storms that came through here Tuesday, as did 1/2 of central VT.  The only charger they had was a 100 mile...our old one was a 20 mile and would knock their woolly attitudes right on their asses when it was packing a full charge (of about 8-9).  This 100 mile one has the potential to burn some wool!  But I'll be damned if I can get the charge above 4 :/ Once a kid gets home Ill be walking fence..AGAIN..to try and find the short.

 A wide view of the field.  the cows are closer to me in the first 1/3 of the field, the sheep have the second 1/3 of the field. 

 Sheep.  Can you tell the lambs from the moms?

 These are Ada's lambs.....they're HUGE.

We also had a piglet break the same night as the storms.  Their brand new solar charger won't work.  The light still blinks but there is no charge coming from it.  I have no idea what is wrong with it...lightening usually just kills it completely.  We did manage to get them in a horse stall before the Major and son #1 left on the 8th grade canoe trip.  That, of course didn't stop Steve Pig or Annabelle from getting out LAST night....their fence was broken and after crawling through swamp in the rain pulling vegetation for an hour...I managed to get the charge back up to 2 which should hold them.  Now I just need to worry about replacing the tire on the tractor that went flat. *rolls eyes*.  Seriously, this week has been a test of my patience and endurance as far as this farm is concerned.  I'm trying to keep a positive attitude...but I really need to downsize on sheep..and Steve Pig needs to be bacon.

 On a POSITIVE note, our garden is mostly in...I'll be able to finish it when the tractor tire gets replaced.  And while emptying a garbage pail in the barn to fill with water in case of power outage, we found *ahem* 11 baby bantams freshly hatched.  One of the white bantams is hiding with a nest SOMEWHERE...I see her at feeding times occasionally..but never just hanging out so I have a feeling at some point I'll be seeing more chicks in the barn yard. Along with more ducklings.  I had to kill 6 because they travelled to Crazy Ladies house

 One of the chicks. 

 Mama and a bunch of the chicks...some of them have the Polish tops going...it's cute.

 Meat chicks.  They are as stupid as turkey.  Seven of them drowned in a puddle during a rain storm instead of going into the barn. 

 The garden.

 I planted popcorn this year....

 and Zucchini

 and peas, radishes, lettuce and spinach :)

 Again with the two ducks incubating a nest. There are two others on two other nests...LOTS of ducklings this year  I think.

 Mop and Moe

Tomato starts, cucumbers, herbs, cabbage.... 

I had neighbors stop by my house the other day...they raise sheep up the road and wanted a ram lamb.  I love it when people come to me and buy my livestock :)  They actually garden at Crazy Ladies house..and she apologized for Crazy Ladies behavior.  Nice to know it's not just ME and my imagination...but at the same time...why on earth do I get stuck with these nut jobs?