Our traditional garden offerings of corn, bean and potato varieties.

I do not know if it was our extremely cold winter just barely survived or the deep layer of mulch, but it took until this week for a few shoots of asparagus to finally spring up from their garden beds.  They are sparse and gangly and grow something like a foot overnight.

We've not harvested any at this point, but will allow them to grow as is to acquire nutrients for expanding their root base.

Unless I step outside tomorrow morning to find a few dozen more struggling upward ...

We are now offering 100% all natural dryer balls handcrafted from our Jacob sheep fleece, sheared in February (2014). Woolen dryer balls are economically and environmentally friendly by replacing commercial dryer sheets coated with chemical and artificial softeners and fragrances.  These balls soften clothing, sheets and towels by bouncing around inside the dryer drum all the while absorbing moisture to speed drying time.  All-natural fragrances can be added to the balls if desired.

Available through our Etsy shop!

Sold in sets of five.

For our climbing pole beans and pickling cucumbers, I spent the day constructing sets of trellis poles in one of the lower garden beds.

First step: sawing and delimbing young saplings from the wooded area below our house.

Then I placed the poles upright in the ground, two by two, and leaned each pair into one another to be tied together at the top.  Horizontal saplings laid along the length of the row provide extra stability as do added brace posts at each end of the trellis frame.

Hopefully tomorrow I can plant ...

the Dry Hollow rabbit clan!

Each rabbit received an extra helping of freshly cut pasture clover to help celebrate!

Here are Amy and Charlie enjoying their portion (after a harrowing nail-clipping session).

And Ty, to round out our new trio of English angora rabbits.  Beautiful fiber for all three, I'm thinking.  But I am biased ...

Vanilla Bean is one of our rescue rabbits we brought with us when we moved to Tennessee last summer.  His primary task?  Fertilizer producer.

Oreo is our second rescue rabbit who made the move with us.  And another fertilizer producer!

And last but not least, Stormy our English angora who will soon molt and provide an exquisite blend of lavendar, grey, and white angora fibers for spinning.

And a quick shot of our clover stand.

Yesterday marked one month of age for Rex, our Jacob lamb.  He remains on pasture with his mother.

Today we introduced him to Maisey, our other ewe, and he held his own on his patch of grass!

Here's a great shot of his sprouted horns, four total.

Two days after birth, we docked our newborn lamb's tail for health reasons.  

Although we could have used a knife for this process, we chose the Elastrator which secures a tight rubberband around the appendage and ends blood flow.  Two weeks later ...

The tail fell off.

Thinking of keeping it as a souvenir, but some family members find that idea a little odd ...

or make that three.  We welcomed three more angora rabbits this weekend.  They are six weeks old.  In addition to collecting angora fiber from them, we will begin breeding in early fall.

Bunnies anyone?

Like mother, like son.

At three weeks old, Rex is now on pasture and growing quickly.  Great confirmation and the beginnings of an excellent fleece.  Or so we hope.  Notice the blade of grass in his mouth and the budding of horns at the top of his head.

Although our young blueberry plants remain small after only a year's growth, a scattering of buds give hope for at least a handful of fruit once summer arrives.

Of course, surrounding birds are also hosting similar thoughts ...