This Friday I leave for Philadelphia. I am going to take my Permaculture Teacher Training course with the wonderful Dave Jacke. For 10 days I will be immersed in permaculture teaching theory and practice at the Kimberton Waldorf School in Phoenixville.

It will be an intensive course, but well worth it. Of course I am running around trying to tie up loose ends here. Tim will beholding down the fort for the time I am gone. That means he has had a crash course in lambing, JUST in case one of our girls does lamb while I am away. Unlikely, but there is a slim possibility it could happen.

Last autumn we traded rams with a friend for a month. He was a beautiful shetland with a coal black coat. We didn’t see a lot of action, but our fingers are crossed that all three ewes took. Our calculations estimate that lambing shouldn’t begin until the beginning of April, but you never know. So we have been preparing our lambing pens (jugs) and water buckets, and the lambing kit, including the number of our wonderful vet in case of emergencies.

Chicks are also in the planning stages so I can hit the ground running when I get back. Figuring out who to isolate with whom is a big job. So far we will be hatching out some more Chanteclers and some penedesencas. This will be the first time that we have done this with two differnt breeds. We may even have a try with the marans as well. A full egg colour spectrum. Lastyear we just did the chanteclers. Our meat chick may have to wait anouther couple of weeks.

Oh and getting the seedling started, I can’t forget about that…It is a busy time of year isn’t it, but we LOVE it!