OUCH!

 I have always wanted to find some stinging nettles. I have yet to see any. So last week, when I saw that one of the farmers at the market was going to have some, I went. There was a man in front of me and he got the last 2 bags. Just like that, gone. And I was SO close!

So this week, I got there early. I was the 3rd person in line. I grabbed 2 bags! I was so excited to finally have stinging nettles in my hand.

But even more exciting was having them already picked and in a bag! Man, those things DO sting! And I am still stinging. But I really would love to find a wild patch and pick them anyway.

So last night, I sauteed some with some baby collards and garlic. Pretty good.

But I have also heard that dried nettles makes some good tea. So I am drying some. But first I put some fresh in a pot and boiled it for some fresh tea. I love it. It's really good. So next week, I will try to nab some more. She said she should have a lot more then. So this and dandelion tea, I should be good to go.

Let me know what you think of these prickly little buggers.  Have you ever had any? Have you ever picked any? How do you eat them? Tell me, please. I want to know all about them.

Sandy

She's getting bigger. If I get this right, she should be due the end of April. I sure wish she'd have been sooner. But that's ok. I can't wait to see her kids now. After Penelope's little cuties, I know Sandy's will be adorable. I think they are already sold too.

Magic sheep?

Or just a stupid shepherd. 

Yesterday, I put the sheep at the far end of the garden. You can see it here at the end, near the road. It's a pretty big area where we used to have hundreds of strawberry plants. Now there are 6 apple and 3 pear trees. And lots of grass. 

So I got my husband to stand by the gate that goes out the driveway and then when the sheep go in, to get behind them and make sure they go straight and not detour into the garden. Where I have cabbage and broccoli. Well, of course they did exactly that. And ate about 6 of the cabbage plants in about 5 seconds flat. We did finally get them all down there and the gate shut. Darn sheep.

Then after taking hubby back to his truck in Atlanta, I got some fence and more posts. I did this this morning. Put fence all along the garden down to the bottom yard. The sheep can mow all this for me. 

BUT, after a few minutes of the sheep being up here, I saw 2 lambs in the garden. I thought they must have gone under the fence. So got them back over and checked the fence. I really didn't see any place where they could get under. So a little while later, I'm standing out there watching them and saw one of the same lambs, Biatrix, go right through the fence into the garden. Like magic, right through the fence. I ran and got her out again and really looked close where I saw her go through.

And this is what I found. A little opening just right for a lamb to walk right through. What about that? I had to use this piece of older fence to get it all the way to the other fence. And forgot there is this little opening in it. SO, I got another little fence piece and fixed that little problem. Darn shepherd!