Auctioning off Computer Time

If you assumed that my lack of posting was due to having a new baby in the already crazy house, you would be partially correct.  You would be even more correct however, if you guessed that my lack of posting is due to a lack of computer access because the farm manager has been completely consumed with an online auction.  Finally, this morning, his anxiety was laid to rest as Barnyard Organics became the proud owners of a second hand compost turner.  And if you assumed that computer time would only be taken up by an online auction in which the bidders could see each other's bids, you would be wrong.  This was closed bidding, but that apparently doesn't stop a bidder from checking the site obessively, brooding over the bid, hoping (in vain) that some computer glitch might magically reveal other bidders offers, etc.  Anyway, as I said, thankfully, life in the office can return to normal, now that the auction is over and the compost turner has found it's long lost owner.

The next thing on the agenda is to organize it's trip home from Dartmouth and then the subsequent evenings spent in the barn, tinkering and fixing and taking apart and puttering about.  There is nothing like a new toy on the farm, and to be honest, one won through an auction seems to feel even more gratifying. 

Life with the new baby is going well.  Thayne is very easy going (so far) and seems to have settled right in amongst the chaos, calmly watching the world (and it's toddlers) rush past (stopping for the occasional head pat, soft-spot-poke).
There's been a few storms since I last posted and the snow is starting to accumulate, although according to my family members in NB, we've got NOTHING on them.  Word on the noon radio show today is of a couple more storms on the way.  Let 'er come, as they say.  And admittedly, the weather between the storms is actually quite lovely.  Crisp and wintery, but not burn-your-face-off cold or anything.  The evenings have been particularly nice lately.  Thayne doesn't even notice that we're outside as he's bundled up in his carseat in the wagon to go to chores. 

The sheep are doing well.  The mothers are starting to look a little wore down as their lambs are getting bigger and greedier.  I need to get some more probiotic to get them back into shape (and not skimp on the creep feed).  The next batch due to lamb in March/April are starting to fill out, which is good, since they were looking not so great back in December.

And of course, after committing 20 dozen eggs to the ACORN conference, the chickens decided that this cold weather was not their cup of tea and have implemented a boycott, by stopping laying.  We were slow/late getting the heat lamp in there during the cold snap and I correctly worried that a couple days later they would quit.  Let's hope we can kick start them back up again soon.  Warm porridge some morning maybe?  Suggestions welcome.

Well, 2 of three kids are napping. I'm off to get the third (the eldest and most difficult) off to the same fate in the magical hopes that I may myself get to nap too!!!  weeeehoo!

Hope this finds you well rested.

-Sally