Life goes on.
Flank is growing like a weed. Ice Cream is not producing as much milk as expected, but that's OK. I have five gallons in the frig right now, so I guess I'm making mozzarella and ricotta cheese at some point today! DH had me order a butter churn and a cheese press - I can make butter in the blender, but he INSISTS we (ME) do it by hand

We need the press for hard cheese, and he won't make me one/I can't figure one out, so I bought one.
I spent a good chunk of yesterday cleaning April's pasture. We divided Jim & April up. She just turned one, and I was worried that, if she started having heat cycles he'd try to mount her - not good at her size! Plus, Jim was not exactly mean, but not really nice to her. So, it was 50 degrees and sunny, and I hauled poo. I couldn't clean it all out, because there are huge sheets of ice in there - I left those covered so she didn't slip and fall. I wanted to start on Jim's pasture today, but the farrier is coming. I figured I'd do him a favor and not get Jim worked up before he shows up. Jim hates new/strange things in his pasture. Me, shoveling/hauling poo in a wheelbarrow would probably wind hi pretty good! We have been working with April every day for the last 2 weeks, trying to get her more comfortable with having her feet done. She'll *almost* lift her feet on command now!
We cleaned out the cows inside pens, again, and dumped/spread it on the garden. I was surprised at how little area it covered! After I'm done with Jim's pasture, I'll start hauling some of the compost from the old pile out there and spread that around. I've started my peppers and tomatoes and they are almost all up! I can't plant them for 8-10 weeks yet, but this way they can (hopefully) grow cool and slow, to be stronger at transplanting time!
The one duckling and 'Hawky' DS#2's chicken, are now out in the isolation pen in the chicken coop. Our six replacement buffs, 2 more runner ducklings and 2 khaki campbell ducklings are in the brooder. I am thinking we'll build a ramp up into the coop and keep the ducks in there at night/let them free range during the day.
The meaties are in the meatie house, growing like...meaties

The horse pine pellets are working fantastic for them - no huge stink in there as of yet! Could be the cooler weather too - helping keep the smell down.
Still no pigs. Nobody has any for sale right now. I've heard there's a desease going through that wiped out thousands of them, so - if we even can find some - they will be pricey
My brother and his family came over on Sunday, to 'check out the zoo'. Ugh. They didn't even knock on the door - they went straight to the back yard, went INTO the chicken pen, went INTO the barn and INTO the cow's pen!! My doofus dog never barked to let me know anyone was here, so I looked out my back door and see people roaming all over the place!! I was

I don't go to their house and wander through their garage, garden, or rummage through their cars and never even knock on their door!! Geesh!! Maybe I'm overreacting, but it really ticked me off!
I made bagels again this week. My MIL loves them and INSISTS I make her a batch. Uh, no. Recipe, yes. Bake them up for you, no. I'll admit, I love them too. Ds#2 and I scarf them whenever I bake a batch! The bread is almost ready to come out of the oven, the farrier will be here in an hour, and - if I'm lucky - that should give me just enough time to make a batch of cheese.
Oh - the front yard is STILL mostly covered in that nasty white stuff, but we're expecting 50's and maybe even a 60 degree day this week - so I'm hoping it will all be gone soon
