There has been an extension of the chicken order deadline as we will be featured in the Edmonton Journal today and I wanted to give any who read about it an opportunity to get in on this. I will be calling in the order for chicks this coming Friday afternoon to Antsey Hatchery in Saskatoon, Saskachewan.

We will have two work days this spring and then if anyone still has some left over time they can come through the summer to move, feed, water or change their fences around. We will also some people to pick up the whey three times a week from the Cheese Facory in Edmonton. The work days are:

Saturday May 14 1 - 5 pm  Clean up of winter chicken coop.....get it ready for brooding chicks, send other layers to the egg mobile for the summer (dirty job, but those who help on this day will get first dibs on all eggs for the rest of the year)

Sunday   May 22 1 - 5 pm  Build two more movable pens, bring any chicken wire you can salvage from anywhere (its the most expensive part of the whole coop!)

On both days we'll be barbecuing at the end of the day and anyone who wants to bring a salad, etc. is welcome to add to the potluck.

Rigel and I watched Murree give birth today to three beautiful kids one male (Yukyuk) and two females (Yleen and Ynot). They are all up, drinking and happy!

I found out that my neighbour's does were both open when they got back to his place and now I'm wondering if my does were bred. I'm pretty sure Murree's bulk is more than fat but the other girls.... well I'm going to ask for professional help. The sad thing is they likely won't come into heat again until next fall and so we may have no babies this year!!! That makes two dud bucks I had this winter; I thought I noticed the first in time and got a second as a back up, but I guess he was too skinny to think of procreating, even after I started giving him grain. He was here for two months and was supplemented for the last six weeks of that.

The good news is that the lake (formerly pond) is growing southward into the field and away from the house. Our Easter Lamb Roast will have to be moved to the old fire pit we used during construction, where its high and dry. We will have to have parking on the road though....mud, mud glorious mud.

The windows sills are full of tomatoes (5 kinds), eggplants (2 kinds), peppers (4), watermelon, squash, onions (3), asparagus (still have aphids, but we're coping!), cucumbers (2), broccoli (2), and cabbage. I can't wait to get them outside in the Solviva... but that may be next year's spring as this one is a cold one. I also am dreaming of a rocket stove under a raised bed to bring the temp up.

We had two wonderful Woofers here this spring already: Touria, from France and Eileen, from Ireland. I am so amazed at the giving nature of people: Clean house and clean sheds. We took them to Irish night, fiddle jams and some cross country skiing. I am so lucky!!