Spring is coming

Finally there is some hope that spring will come soon. Of course, technically, it is now spring, but since when has the calendar had any effect on the weather here in the Maritimes? Seems we are due for a snow storm tomorrow. But the sun is shining for longer each day and the pussywillows are out and the yard is getting muddy, so it must be nearly spring.

Our two lovely piggies are off visiting a rather ugly large Duroc boar at the moment. He has to be one of the most un-handsome pigs I have ever seen but the girls seem to like him. They will be home soon and then we await the arrival of the babies. We are a bit late, as they will be born in July but that is just how it happened.

We are finally able to ride our horses again without the risk of broken limbs due to slipping on the endless ice. Both Bars and Touche were a little more feisty than usual, though with Touche that manifests itself as breaking out into a trot without being asked. Bars, on the other hand, was finding the big wide world a bit scary, but he has settled down now.

This weekend we are off to a team penning clinic. I have wanted to try team penning ever since discovering the sport, but the opportunity hasn't come up until now. Team penning involves teams of 3 horses and a bunch of cattle. The cattle have numbers painted on their sides and each team is given a number. If you get #4, you have to try to get the 3 cattle with #4 on their sides out of the herd and into a small pen at the top of the arena. Very fast paced and exciting. I am not sure how excited Touche will get as it takes a lot to get him going, but Bars will probably enjoy it.