Good morning. It’s another beautiful morning at Bedlam Farm. I got some warm, fresh bread at Gerard Farms, Zip made another sheep friend, Maria was on manure patrol, and I’ve begun preparations for our computer repair/fun trip to Stowe, Vermont.

This is a reminder that the blog will be offline from Sunday noon to sometime on Thursday, June 5 or 6. I won’t be reading or responding to e-mails or texts. I have the newest Jane Smiley novel and the Gabriel Garcia Cartez autobiography to read; I have great stuff to read.

My camera is getting a brand-new hard drive (I was told it would last longer than I will); it will take at least two days to transfer the data. Maria and I are getting a brief rest; we are both worn. We love what we do but only stop doing it if we go away.

Three days is the second most extended vacation we’ve ever taken together.

Sarah Harris will update the Cambridge Food Pantry Amazon Wish List daily.

Please don’t hesitate to check out the pantry’s most urgent needs. Thanks for that. I worry about them. Today’s request (I’ll post this shortly this morning, is laundry soap, $3.44, and dish liquid, $5.99):  Sarah says 63 families came to the pantry yesterday for food, “we are totally out of laundry soap and dish liquid,” she said.

There were no flower pictures from Sunday through Thursday; I’ll re-group when I return. I will be blogging tomorrow and Saturday and praying for my computer to come home safely.

 

Zip makes another friend, touching noses.

Maria applies medicine to the donkeys. Both have raw spots from the rain.

Fanny stands still for a sulfur rub on the furless patch beneath her chin. She trusts us, but Lulu is more cautious. We’ll get to her. With donkeys, everything has to be their idea.

The sheep are ready to go out to the pasture.

Fate is our wild, hurting dog who hates to herd.

Maria is the Bedlam Farm manure spreader, which is great for the pastures.

Zip always meets us on the corner of the fence in the morning. Then he gets fed. He looks like he’s got a pretty full belly.

The old can, the oldest relict on either farm, is one of Bedlam Farm’s new symbols. It has an iconic feel and is retired to a comfortable life on top of a fence post.