Lamb update

We have 3 lambs now. 2 ewe lambs and 1 ram lamb, who wasn't able to stand after being born, thus unable to get milk from its mother.  We are bottle feeding all them.

This samovar is from a friend's house, dear Anna, who passed away.  Her children have been taking the items they want and cleaning out her home.  And below, I started kulich.

This is the ram lamb who was born March 25th.  He's been staying in our home in a bin with hay, to keep warm.  He can't stand so when he urinates, he will get wet and could get too cold out in the barn where the ewe lambs are... We have to dry him off and change the hay.  He's very affectionate and sweet.  He is making a little progress, which is great!  

This is a nice fictional story for children about a babushka who makes gorgeous eggs and brings them to Moscow, but saves a wounded goose in the winter, who lays beautiful eggs!  And the kulich dough has risen for an hour and half, look at all those yeasty pockets.  Smells so good. Next, I divide the dough and they rise again in their canisters.

Fresh out of the oven and cooling. I'll freeze these until Pascha!

We have a lot to do in the time between now and Pascha.  My husband prefers no raisins. I want to make another batch with golden raisins.

Wool and feathers

We got two lambs from a nearby farm today.  Their mama had triplets, and the owner had to supplement with a bottle to feed them anyhow.  They have quite a flock of sheep, 36 sheep in all.  We will have some pretty wool next year!

We have been collecting feathers for fun!
Inside our hen house, one has just laid an egg and another is working on it.  We've been getting about a dozen per day!  We are selling them $3/dozen.  

These Guinea fowl feathers are from the farm where we got the lambs.  They were on the floor of the barn!  Aren't they pretty?

Our path

It's now been 6 months since we moved from Ohio to upstate New York.  Yesterday we took a hike in the forest and the snow is slowly melting.

Look at the curl of snow melting off the roof!

The kittens are going to be 6 months old in a week.  They love to climb trees.  Can you spot them in the photo above?  Spring is almost here, but I've enjoyed this winter so much.  The snow is bright, I need sunglasses more than I would on a day that is just sunny, as the snow reflects it up and all around.  It's uplifting.

Such a contrast in just a few days, from 70 one day and them 25 as the high on Friday, and there was no snow.  Then, we got a lot of snow Saturday. As a friend said "Either 2 inches or 2 feet depending on where you step."  The wind created some artistic drifts.  Below are our apple trees and wood pile.

I hope your path is filled with brightness!

Playful calf

Here's a video of Ferdinand, the new calf:  https://youtu.be/Kz7jqAf2_b4

That was Saturday morning, with George in the barn.  We had taken Bella out to the pasture. 

Saturday was 42 Fahrenheit, warmer than Friday which reached only a high of 27 F.  

Sunday, it reached 70 F and all the snow melted!

We baked bread yesterday.  As a start to Great Lent, we started reading from the beginning of the Bible with Genesis, lit a candle, also incense, prayers with prostrations, covered our television with a bedsheet.

The cow is producing more milk than the calf can consume right now.  So, if you have any (easy and, or freezable) cheese recipes, please share.  I am thinking about buying a vacuum sealer.  

This is a really nice booklet that explains why we should fast.  It's something I've struggled with more as I get older.  I find myself feeling weak, but am determined to do a better job than I have in the past.  For me, it's a temptation to have fish for the children for a meal and when they don't eat it all, I would finish it.  I'm going to either put away leftovers in the refrigerator or give it to the chickens.  With God, it's possible to improve!

Cranberry walnut cake

I made a cranberry walnut cake today, using a bag of cranberries I had in the freezer.  I bought a bunch of them a few months ago when they were just $0.49.  Such a great price!  It also has orange zest in it.  I'm looking forward to having it later with a cup of tea.

I swept the front mat.  We get a lot of wind up here and so the snow covered this up again quickly.
We have about 6 inches of snow right now. It snowed Thursday night and when we woke, my husband got out the shovels and snow blower a nearby friend gave us, since he had a newer one.  A week ago, it was in the 50s. 

Can you see the two kittens below?  

There are 4 women who go to church with us that are expecting babies, soon.  I've finished a little warm bonnet in Tunisian crochet.

I sewed this altar boy robe, finally.  My husband helped, a lot.  It's not finished, I want to add a button and brocade ribbon as trim around the sleeves and bottom, but it was done enough so that he wore it to serve in the altar this past weekend!  

The littlest one trying it out before being hemmed...

Next week begins Great Lent for us Orthodox Christians.  May you have a peaceful one.

P.S. After I wrote this, our cow Bella's water broke!  Hooves appeared and shortly thereafter, the calf was born.  I will share more about it soon!