Lupine saw the photos in this post and said, "Mama, why are you writing an Easter post?" I scrolled through and sure enough, it looks a good deal like a spring celebration over here.
It's a good fit for me, since as I child I was obsessed with all things spring, including rabbits. And chicks in tea cups? Well who could resist that?
The point of this post is that we have a lot of new babies over here right now. Forget about goat kids and lambs! We have smaller babies to snuggle at the moment.
I suppose every season has a theme, be it plant or harvest; work or rest; life or death.
Clearly we've entered the season of "adorable" over here, with fluffy new life for miles.
(Those chicks in tea cups only because I don't have small enough tutus.)
First, the chicks.
A few weeks ago Pete put a clutch of chicken eggs in one incubator and quail in another. They began hatching a week ago, and at this point I've lost count of new babies on the farm. Six quail and seven? eight? Pete reports eleven new chicks to freshen up our laying flock. I was lucky enough to have a quail hatch out right in the palm of my hand.
As of yesterday they have all been moved from the living room to the barn (thank goodness) and I'm reveling this morning in a full night of sleep, uninterrupted by rambunctious peeping from downstairs.
And second, the rabbits. Oh, the rabbits!
We were gifted two gorgeous angora rabbits. (For your rabbit people, one a Satin Angora Chocolate Agouti and the other is French Angora Opal.)
It all came about quite unexpectedly after I chatted with a friend at our homeschooling potluck about fiber dying, handspinning, and fiber flocks. We had both spent the day dying wool a nearly identical shade of plum; my fiber from my sheep and hers from her angora rabbits. I was fascinated and chatted her up about her rabbits. A week later I ran into her at the coop and she offered me two bunnies - rabbits that she loved but needed a good home for to make room in her hutches for new genetic stock.
What a generous, amazing gift. How could I resist?
And so Violet (formerly Susie), shown above, and Baby (formerly, well, Baby), shown below, came home for keeps this weekend.
We're learning so much and enjoying the process of caring for the newest - and arguably most cuddly - members of our fiber flock.
Sage is truly taken by Violet, the more cautious rabbit of the pair, and is working daily to make her feel safe on our farm. Lupine is fond of the slightly more predictable and gregarious Baby, so everyone is happy.
Myself included.
I truly can't think of a better addition to our farm or our family than these.
