Signs of Spring on the farm

I think Spring is here to stay, it was a beautiful day and the dogs and I went for our daily walk at the pond.

Mollie is impatient...

"Are you Coming??"

"Wait for me, Mollie...."

"....I'm almost there....."

"....I'm coming, I'm coming!!"

Mollie is interested in this old, hollow tree, she is sure there is something inside....

....so she calls for backup and Murphy confirms it.

"If I could only climb this tree, I'd get that varmint."

I saw this goose sneaking around the pond and soon found out why...

....his lady love is sitting on a nest on the island and they are keeping a low profile.

These are the juvenile geese, not old enough to pair up they are living the free and easy life.

A sure sign of spring, my hubby planting his first field, it exciting times out here in rural Iowa!

The dogs always have to check out the beaver den, I took a stick about 4 ft long and stuck it clear down inside and wiggled it around. I wonder if the beaver family was inside thinking, "What the Hey??"

The geese persevered and built a nest on the side of the beaver hut and so far have three eggs but they aren't very smart. A marauding raccoon will probably come some night and raid the nest. Live and learn.

The bees are still working on the sugar brick I put in this winter but I need to get inside and clean it up. I did find a lot of dead bees so I'm not sure how many survived, the ones that did are very territorial and didn't appreciate me checking on them.

Back at home, Zoe and I spent the afternoon in the gazebo, finally!

While Bruce was planting we were on baby watch, no new calves today, 9 left to go.

We stopped at the grain bins to check for rats, lately they have been skunked, it seems that they thinned out the rat population. But today was Mollie's lucky day, a big, fat rat hiding behind the wooden door, he could hide but not run from her!

But the biggest sign of Spring I found was while sitting here at the computer when I pulled a wood tick out of my hair - YEESCH!!!

Bruce is humming the country song, "I Want to Check You for Ticks!"