Tomatoes hardening off...  I think we have 13 flats.

I love the sight of redbuds blooming in the spring.  I didn't know, given my ignorance of trees and the drought last summer, if I was lucky enough to have any redbuds. We have two!

While working outside today, I remembered my hat in an effort to avoid the nearly-obligatory first ferocious sunburn of the summer.  (No, it's not summer weather, but it's always the first sunburn!)

Rhubarb is thriving!

Strawberry bed

I don't see any major gaps in the strawberries, so I think we planted well.  The rain has definitely aided in helping plants establish themselves.

Peas, lettuce, spinach, and onions are planted.  Who left the shed door open?  I think one of my little helpers have come by...

Despite the thriving weeds and lilies around them, threatening to choke them out, the garlic is doing well.

ASPARAGUS!  I am so relieved to discover five plants survived the searing heat last summer.  Q added his finger to the picture.  I'm looking forward to the first harvest of the spring!

The Assistant and Q added their thumbs to this onion picture.  The onion have lovely new growth, and I hope they enjoyed the cold weather we had recently.  It should aid in bulb size.

Peach tree, post-multiple frosts.  I'm still not sure what will come of it.

Until next time, remember, this is not paradise.  It's Purgatory Ranch.

In Case You Thought I Was Bored...

15 Turkens, aka Naked Neck Chickens

kinda ugly babies

Hopefully, more of these survive than the guineas (5 of 9 survive).  On that note, the guineas now knock over their feed every chance they get.  It's time for a hanging feeder!

Until next time, remember, this is not paradise.  It's Purgatory Ranch.

Grateful for the Rain

I am always nervous until the first potato sprouts appear.  What if I killed the potatoes?  What if I didn't plant them right?  (As if there was a way to plant a potato wrong... Okay, there is, but really?)

So I have anxiously examining the potato patch for sprouts.  Thursday, finally, in the mud, I found some!  There are plenty more still to sprout, and the grass is kicking tail, but I don't weed until enough sprouts are up that I know I won't hack any.

Tree Onions

Potato

Tree clearing progress

All in a Saturday's Work

First, James spend the morning helping a friend clear all the trees (particularly red cedars) from around Six Penny Pond, as well as cleaning out the garbage remaining from a torched single-wide a previous owner decided should be burned.  In the pond.  Yuck.

And that, my friends, was all before lunch.

After lunch, James began assembly of a shed for the kids' bikes, toys, etc.

I planted three Heritage raspberries; emptied the barn of garden tools, which were deposited in the newly-constructed, used shed next to the garden; fed and water the guineas; cleaned their previous home; and supervised the kids, including JoJo, who was particularly crabby.

Then, James and I selected planting sites for four rhubarb crowns.  Exciting stuff around here!

After dinner, as the crowning event of our insanity, we planted 200+ strawberry plants, half Earliglow and half Honeoye.  I stretched our remaining drip hoses and discovered I need, oh, maybe six more!

On the to do list to address the watering needs of the strawberries is also to discover whether or not the outside faucets to our house run through the water softener.  If yes, we have a watering problem.

Until next time, remember, this is not paradise.  It's Purgatory Ranch.

I might have gone a little overboard when I found a better-to-me price on canning jars.

Then again, I have four kids and lots of extended family members.  Maybe I should go back for more.

Until next time, remember, this is not paradise.  It's Purgatory Ranch.

After the Storm (Thursday)

The trees sparkles this morning as the sun rose, and melting ice and shattered blooms tinkled as they dropped like hail.  Although the ice will have brought the Bradford pear bloom season to an abrupt end, I don't mind if it means the pollen is cut short too!

Wednesday

In rolls the ice...