A Day About "A" Things.... Alpacas, And Anticipation

For the last few years hay has been a great concern to Teapot and me. We had many animals and not enough land to provide for them. But with all the farms around we didn't worry too much when we got our sheep and alpacas because we knew there was enough hay around to purchase. But as you all know, as the years passed, hay became the primary issue in raising our animals. Well as you also know we finally decided that raising sheep was not for us. We liked the alpacas but the sheep really, if truth be told, irritated the hell out of us.  It got to the point that if you walked out through the door they would baa and fuss and try to run at the fences because you might have food. We'd give them more food and they would just get fatter and the never ending racket would never end. Summer would come and we would put them in the fold at night and let them out in the day, and when they weren't running the fences and terrorizing our neighbours and pooping all over their lawns they were staring at us and baaing for oats. So last summer I finally made the final decision to sell the buggers. And so they went. But by the time I sold them I had arranged for 18 large bales of hay. Five of them we used over the end of the summer and the early part of the fall while there were still sheep here. But finally the fall came and we had a hauling business haul in another ten bales in the hopes that when we ran out, spring would be here and we would be able to haul the rest of our hay ourselves. The last of the sheep made his way to his new home and Teapot  and I were left with a pile of new hay and one horse and 6 alpacas. 10 bales of hay is a nice chunk of hay.... I don't think we realized just how much... Since November we have used 2 and 1/2. Now I knew that the alpacas eat a whole lot less than sheep but this is far beyond our expectations. At this rate they won't run out of hay till June and we still have three more bales to fetch in that have been paid for.  So we are sitting on more hay than we really know what to do with. The nice thing is... if hay is well protected it can be used well into the next year.... I'm not sure if we'll have enough for that but as the temperatures get warmer then the alpacas will eat less, so I am sure the hay will last well into the summer anyway.

Other signs that spring is coming:
This morning I woke at 6:55 a.m. and there it was... light in the sky. Getting out of bed seemed much easier to do. Teapot and Daughter #1 just went out the door to school and it is full daylight. If it were a sunny day the light from the sun would be touching the tops of the trees. To the north there's a little blue in the sky but to the south the sky is dark from storm clouds. It looks like all across the country there is snow coming.... but they never mentioned snow in the forecast for us in the North... so I wonder, will we or won't we get snow in the next few days. If we do then I might safely say that the February thaw is over and the March snows will be blowing once again. March can be a snarky little month... but it helps to have a week break thrown in to ease things before Spring arrives. Teapot will be heading off to Haida Gwaii for a few days with the JCRs and we decided that that would be best since I am in the market for new furniture to use in our sunroom for the summer months again. He will get paid for being away.... and that will be money to help us buy new flooring... yeah!... which is the first step to making the sun room into a living room. Then we are looking for a leather reclining loveseat that will fit in there. Just the fact that I am beginning to think about the sunroom for the main living area is a sign of spring. But it leaves me with a slight dilemma... what do I do with the loom!?

There are certainly birds making their appearance for spring every day. I should finish off the coffee so that I can use the can finally to make a new bird feeder. I have been seeing great flocks of snow birds.... and then I have even seen a crow or two. The ravens are starting to fall in love because you see them rubbing their beaks and getting cozy.

Even the Redpolls are starting to put on their colours....

it is still a little early for anything else. But by March then we should start to see other birds arriving like finches and a few ducks and geese.... by the end of March there will be a huge influx of birds.... and I can't wait because that is my favorite time of the year. I sit out on sunny days on the deck and put in a fire in the fire pit and enjoy the sounds of new birds arriving.... I spin, knit or sew as needs be and all around me arrives spring. And tea over a fire pit is far nicer than tea in the house on the stove. That and a lemon biscuit... makes for a fine tea break... and a fine spring day.

One last note:
It did get sunny yesterday and I did knit a little more and I did watch a nice movie while doing so... It was just a little too cold to go out on the deck... so I sat in my living room and enjoyed the sunshine streaming through the window.

Hope your late winter days are full of sunshine and anticipation for good things in spring.