Some Spring Things

                                                                                                                                                                      The days are getting warmer, well some of them. We have had a fairly cool spring so far- we had frost this morning when I woke up. Progress is happening, and being made. Over the weekend, although I have a nasty spring cold, I did manage to pick and pull more rocks out of the garden, and Joe straightened the edge of the garden, which increased the size slightly ( enough for at least one extra row of beets!) I also picked up a load of cow manure from a relative down the road- some went on the garden, but a lot went back on the compost pile, as it had a lot of grass in it. When it's free you can't really complain though!

The ever expanding rock pile. I took a wheelbarrow full of smaller rocks and dumped them down back.

I also successfully made yogurt! Last weekend, I attempted to, but because of a few small errors on my part, it did not set at all. This time I was a little more attentive, and found a different method ( using a warm oven to incubate) and had success! It set up nice and thick and tastes great. What I would really like to do is find someone whom I could trade with- for raw milk- eggs? veggies? anything for about a half gallon a month- because jeeze, I don't see myself eating more than a half gallon of yogurt every month!

Flowers are coming up, the Daphne is pretty much in full bloom, and now the trillium ( Stinking Benjamin's) are opening up too. A few happen to be living, with my assistance in my front garden. They are Joe's favorite flower.

Lilies from my grandmother's garden

"The Shed Master" He is shedding so bad right now that this is his current nickname.

 

Buddha watching over my stinkin benjamin's

My few seedlings are doing fine- I don't have a proper set up to start much here. I'd love a greenhouse- maybe next year! This years plan for garden expansion includes two small beds near the big garden- one for strawberries and one for...whatever I want- I plan to try to put some low tunnels up over one of the beds and see how that works out. Anything to extend the growing season would be super!

Jalapenos- just over a month old

 

 

 

Scallions- in my MOOmilk planter!

Not the best photo in the world...but who cares, the bluebirds are here!

friendly flycatcher- every year since we have been here there has been a pair that nests somewhere near the house, and I love watching them snatch bugs out of my garden!

 

March 31.

Daphne-almost ready to bloom! This is the first flower I see every year- before there is a leaf on any tree, this random stick in the woods will have beautiful little pink flowers.

 

I think the snow is gone for good this time, yeah, sure, it might snow again, but April snow always melts fast...plus, I'm all done with snow, so it can't snow again...right?

band of turkeys

I've had a busier than expected spring semester. It's a little more than half way over now, and I just signed up for summer classes. If all goes as expected, and I pass both of my Praxis tests, I'll be student teaching in the fall, and will have FINALLY finished my degree! This has been a very long time coming, so I am getting pretty excited!

I started some scallions and some jalapenos a bit ago. The scallions are 2-3 inches tall, and the jalapenos are just emerging. This time of year is so strange, things seem so slow and so fast at the same time. I've got plenty of prep to do before I think about gardening- like getting some fencing to keep the chickens out, and getting some manure....but the ground is still mostly frozen, so I need to hold my horses!

Speaking of chickens, we lost one to a hawk this past week. Poor Peaches, the Buff Orpington. It's sad, but this is what can happen when you free range. Some people may think I'm cruel or dumb to continue to free range, but that is how it's going to be. They enjoy it, and loss to predators is part of the risk, even if they are penned. Moving on....

Last week we had a full moon..a big, bright one, and it made for a crazy week. The beginning of the week was crazy, but I was finally able to shift my mood and start to find spring when it turned a little warmer and the sun came out. We are in that " brown and gray" time of year, and I am really yearning for some green, and maybe a flower or two!

Pretty Peaches, RIP

Penny, my one and only blue egg layer has finally started laying again.