Spring (not) Break

I apologize for going AWOL the last few weeks.  I try to make a post every other week at the very least but life has been so extremely full that I just could not get to the blog!  There’s a reason why I didn’t want to have a litter during soccer season but that’s just the way it happened this year. BUT the best news is that my daughter graduated from physical therapy this week!!! For those of you who have been following me for last year, Hannah tore her ACL May 2nd, 2024. It's been almost a year - a long, hard year for her - and she is finally back!!

It’s also spring, which means a little bit of extra all around.  We are in the middle of ramp season right now.  Ramps are essentially a wild onion with a very strong, almost garlic-like flavor.  We are blessed to have several large patches that grow wild in our woods and require no maintenance from us to keep them going year after year as long as we harvest them sustainably.  They are a highly sought after delicacy here in the South and every spring the kids and I are able to sell them in large quantities to a local buyer.  

We also have been clearing out a large section of land that was left a mess after it was logged a decade ago for a blueberry patch which we have wanted to get to for years! The spring winds kept us from getting it all burned out but we managed to get a good section cleaned up and planted with 20 little bushes.

We prepped a garden spot with some large tarps to kill off last year’s weed growth.  And we purchased chicks for the first time in years to start a new flock.  Back to our good old Beildefelder chickens :).  Zeke and Sadie were very interested in our new addition. Hopefully it will be a "I can't wait to love and protect you" kind of interest and not a "you smell really delicious" kind of interest. I guess time will tell.

And last, but not least, the Puppy Barn is complete!!  Tim did a wonderful job and I couldn’t be more excited to have a clean, fresh space for our litters.  My youngest two were thrilled to be allowed to help paint it - the boys not so much. But everyone had a hand it getting it up and ready. We’ll work on a fenced yard to have a safe play space attached outdoors, but for the time being, we’ll continue using our little portable fences.  During off-litter time we have plans to put in a drum set for the boys for an outdoor practice space and the loft will be used for some much-needed storage.

We also had several visitors meeting their puppies before the big go home day coming up!

The puppies have been developing wonderfully in all this lovely spring weather.  It’s been nice to get them outside plenty and they enjoy it just as much as I do.  Sunday we ran them all through temperament testing over at Hamish’s farm and I believe this is my most consistent and stable litter yet.  Each one of them will be a great dog and I can’t wait to put them each in a new home. Monday was their first vet visit and all passed with flying colors. The vet was amazed that there was not a single accident (and so was I) during our entire hour there! These pups are awesome. We've started with some control training recently, manding (waiting for a calm sit before a treat), and expecting calm behavior before attention (not letting them out of the pen until they are sitting quietly). I'm hoping to get a few more things in this week now that temperament testing is behind us! But I have been really impressed with this litter so far.

And I haven’t even had a chance to mention our new addition, Sadie Cove! Named after one of our favorite spots in Alaska, near where we used to lived years ago before we moved to NC. She is from Lanz Hollow Farm in CT. And the timing seemed right to raise another pup with Zeke. They love each other and all the extra exercise and fun they provide one another. Lucy is happy to watch the nonsense from the sidelines and occasionally offers her guidance and advice, especially when she finds them particularly obnoxious. Sadie has proven to be stable, confidence, affectionate, attentive and focused. I have been very impressed with her so far. My hope is to one day keep a Lucy pup, but it just hasn't worked out so far. But we look forward to what Sadie and Zeke will bring to our breeding program and our farm!

We have ONE puppy left!! Sadly, a family had to back out this week. If you are interested in taking one of these great dogs home, let me know!