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Monday, May 2, 2011

A Satisfying Day.

After spending the first half of my weekend driving here, there and everywhere, I did manage to stay put on Sunday and got a lot done. 

I visited the barn (black bottom cupcakes) and did a lot of ear scratching on Jasmine and chin scratching on Alice.  I got a truck load of wood mulch - free! - from a pile left by the electric company on my neighbor's farm.  I spread 90% of it on pathways around my raised beds.  Then I planted potatoes and catnip.  I made a raised bed along my front pathway and planted the alpine strawberries that Marianne had given me (and mulched it with wood chips -- will that work, Mama Pea?).  I cleaned out the little coop and all the nesting boxes and put in fresh shavings.  I washed and installed my screens.  I hauled out the hoses, let the sheep out for a quick bite of grass, cleaned their water bucket, gave the dogs a nice long walk, talked with neighbors and hung out laundry.  I only managed to clean one rabbit cage, however, because I was exhausted by then.  I did do some grooming work on Little Sister, one of the red angoras, but she and her brother still need a lot more attention.  I then fed everyone, took a shower and trotted off for my reward for a hard day's work:  dinner at Sylvie's! This morning, before I let loose the chickens, I am going to plant the lovely rhubarb plant that Kay gave me yesterday (so far, the fencing I put around the rhubarb bed has held them at bay). 

Needless to say, I had no trouble sleeping last night.  It felt so good to stretch all those muscles that haven't been used all winter.  It was a beautiful day and, even though much of this week calls for cloudy skies and rain, I think I have absorbed enough natural Vitamin D3 to squeak through to next weekend.

9 comments:

Erin said...

Sounds like a very productive weekend with lots of good for the soul animal contact! Make sure that wood mulch was aged or it can kill plants, but if not aged yet, would still make good pathways! I am amazed that you make the time to all that baking for the barn, I bet they are very appreciative!

Jane @ Hard Work Homestead said...

I use enormous amounts of fresh, untreated mulch because we get our wood from a commercial tree cutter and we have to take the mulch. I have tons and tons to get rid of. I do not age it and use it every where. From what I have read, fresh mulch breaks down evenly with carbon and nitrogen and is not as acidic as everyone thinks. It also promotes growth of fungus below the surface which actually enriches the soil. Mother Earth News has a good article on line about how to use it. And I can testify to that as the mulch I put down last year is gone in some places, absorbed by the earth. I do not put it right up against new plants, as it might be to much for them. I have not had any trouble with growth on any plants, and yes grass and weeds will still grow up from it.

Anonymous said...

Wow, you were busy. Makes me hurt just to read about it, but don't you feel accomplished....

Susan said...

Erin - I guess I better make sure they're not right up against my strawberry plants. I may have found some sawdust -- so I will use that as a buffer.

Jane - that is good to know, as I still have a pile of it to use. It always feels so right to go the whole circle and use every bit.

Ruth - yes, I was hurting too this morning! But it's that wonderful physically tired feeling.

Carolyn said...

There's no better feeling that doing hard work around your own place. It's great that you got so many "to-do's" scratched off your list.

I know I'm just waiting for the darned ground to dry up a bit before I can get back outside & do some serious outdoor work.

Oh, if you're "bored" (HA!), you'd be happy to know that I've divulged those seven secret things this morning...
www.krazoacres.blogspot.com

Susan said...

Carolyn Renee - Yes, it is such a great feeling. I woke up all achy, but feeling great! We still have a lot of soggy ground here, too. No one can get in their fields to plant yet. I am sorry for tossing you under the bus...;o)...I will go over and find out what you've divulged!

Leigh said...

Wow, you were one busy lady! But doesn't it feel good to accomplish so much. I envy that free mulch. One can never have enough mulch!

Mama Pea said...

Well, my goodness, you did have a satisfying day! Nothing feels as good as having that kind of a day. Even feeling a little stiff and sore is well worth it. I'm with Jane in that we've never had any trouble with the wood shavings or sawdust mulch. But I'm thinking maybe some young plants are more sensitive than others, too.

Each fall when cleaning up the garden I marvel at where the heck ALL that mulch I spread disappeared to. Obviously, there's a whole lot of decomposition going on when no one's looking!

Amy Dingmann said...

Sounds like you were one busy gal! Still waiting for it to warm up here so I can be productive like you. I'm afraid that when that big yellow orb returns to our sky, we won't remember what it is! :)