Warmth, moderate success, patience, amended travel plans

Yesterday was our first warm afternoon in a week or so, and the animals were loving it. Everyone was parked in a sunny spot to get as much warmth as possible. The temperature was a little over 50°. By tomorrow it is forecast to be over 70°. A far cry from the early morning temperature of 16° just yesterday morning. In our time out doing the evening feeding I uncovered the peach tree and the blueberry bushes. It is not immediately obvious whether covering them helped them hold their blooms through the hard freezes, but we should be able to see the outcome in a couple days. If the buds continue to bloom and the blooms that were already on the tree flower out to set fruit, we will have succeeded. If not, we will have tried. As for the raised bed, I should know by this weekend what will need to be replanted. Fortunately, the potatoes have not sprouted yet, but I would not be surprised to see them push through this weekend. The blackberries seem completely unaffected by the freezes. All the transplants are doing very well in spite of the cold temperatures. I even found one more sprig in the bed with the blueberries when I uncovered them last night. I will have to dig it out or that one blackberry plant will take over the entire bed again. For those that are now in the garden, I will have to contain their spread over the next few years. But for now, the more the merrier.

Our little lamb, which Mama is now calling Snow, is eating very well now. He takes about four ounces twice a day. It will be a week or so before we will be certain that he has overcome his initial setbacks, but he is to the point that he will seek out Mama as soon as she enters the area, quickly downs the bottle, and scampers off to see if his mama has any of her milk left. I was able to catch our little black lamb yesterday evening. He and his mama are so skittish that we rarely get close to them, but last night I was able to trap him between the closed barn doors and the hay feeder. He was desperately trying to get away, but I got hold of his back leg and dragged him out and picked him up. While I held him, he did not struggle. It was the first time either of us had been able to touch him. Mama was able to feel how soft his wool is. When I put him down, he shot away so fast Mam and I were impressed. We know there is no reason to fear us. He and his mama have not reached that same conclusion yet.

Since we are not going to Amarillo, Mama and I may make a quick trip up to Lawton to look at the progress on our house. Whether or not Mama will go with me depends on how much better she is feeling this weekend. I was alerted by the realtor that the tile – I assume for the flooring in the large living room – was delivered yesterday. This warmer weather will provide a better environment for laying tile. I do not know when work is scheduled to lay the tile, but Mama and I are praying that the work is completed sooner rather than later. We are anxious to put the house on the market. There are so many good deals available to us right now, but we are waiting to invest more money until we have at least one successful home sale – and the money that sale will provide for us to purchase some of those available homes, remodel them and sell them. Patience, we are told, is a virtue. One I do not necessarily possess in abundance. But I am learning.

Victoria is headed to Wichita this morning. That was her and Brittany’s original plan – before we changed plans to go to Amarillo for Owen’s birthday. She needs the break.