Daylight already lasts long enough to lend exhaustion by nightfall... and we're just getting started. The snow is still laying deep across the land, but every living creature knows that spring is right around the corner now.
In one more month, the cold frames will be sprouting greens up through the melting soil. Onions will begin their ascent through the decaying snowpack. And spruce grouse will be drumming for their mates. We'll see the first bear tracks as they emerge from their dens, looking for grass and winterkill.
Our window ledges are already filled with seedlings, and space will be at a premium in a few weeks time. Visions of a woodstove heating the greenhouse just may become reality this year... yep, this might be the year it actually happens.
Licorice's bucklings are getting big fast, already approaching 20 pounds. Edelweiss is due in 2.5 weeks, and Ginger 10 days later. Then Guava comes next after another week, and Mango 10 days after that. I don't have kidding dates on Iris, so we'll just have to watch her. We're going to be overrun with kids. The decision has been made to raise up one of the bucklings to breed Gigi, who will be a year old in May.
The new chickens are still adjusting, but at long last, things are starting to mellow out again in the henhouse. Egg production is just starting to increase, and I'm hoping to see 4 dozen a day before long.
Ben is getting ready to head to the States to man our booth at a Sportsman's Expo to sell some hunts. Perhaps the economy is restored enough to loosen America's grip on their pocketbooks. We can only hope.
Meanwhile, things are humming along around here. A 12x16 goat shed is rapidly going up, and we're adding roosts in the chicken house. Guineas are penned separately for nesting now. The number of herd shareholders continues to rise, and I don't think I could ever have enough eggs to keep Alaskans happy.
So what I'm saying, is that the sleepy days of winter have passed. We're waking up with a long list of tasks to be accomplished, and the midday sun is bringing warmth to our cheeks. It's about time!