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Monday, April 21, 2014

Sproing!

It seems that Spring is getting the upper hand these past few days.  Although our overnight temps are in the 20s (dammit), the days are in the 50s and 60s.  Yesterday, Easter, was down right gor-gee-ous.  Since our family had celebrated Easter on Saturday, I had the whole day to myself.  Oh Heaven!  So DS Melanie and I made a date to work on the farm - I picked her up at 10 and we worked a couple of hours in the greenhouse and on clearing the asparagus bed.  Which, by our reckonings, hadn't been touched in a couple of years.  Can we say "MESS"? 

The row of peas that we had planted two weeks ago are on their journey up!  We added another row of peas, a row of spinach, a row of chiogga beets and a small row of experimental red cabbage (as in the seeds are octogenarians, in seed age).  It was up to 100* in the greenhouse, so we watered everything well (after hunting down the water source and jerry-rigging some neglected hoses).  The asparagus beds will need more work, but we got most of the large, weedy, stemmy, overgrown stuff out and will tackle the Creeping Charlie that has worked its way across most of the beds.  We also split some large rhubarb plants and made some lists.  It is always such a good feeling when you are making food!  (None of my pics from the greenhouse took.  Could it be that my camera was in too much shock at the sight of....sun?)

I was so thrilled to be out in the sun, that I came home and tackled my own garden.  I cleared out the rest of the beds, planted onions and beets, set up my new, hillbilly flower tire planters, and schlepped about four wheel barrow loads into the woods.  Then I played with the dogs, scritched the sheep (and let them browse deliriously for an hour on GRASS), tried grooming the goats (not), cleaned off my deck, put on my Linda Ronstadt CD (What's New?), and had a glass of iced tea, seated on my Adirondack chair (with cushion, lahdidah).  The dogs collapsed here and there - Lovey likes to creep up on the chickens, who are basking on the steps in the sun, and jump at them.  This causes a big flutter and noise, which delights Lovey no end.  There is a gate between her and them, so no danger of actually catching one.

Lovey prowling the chicken line.
Pussy willow is almost in full pussy-willowness.
The sun sure felt good.
Scrappy prefers the shade.
You will notice that I have not yet gotten
comfortable with the idea of Spring.

I've got a few packets of zinnia seeds that I am going to start this week.  Things are going to be colorful this year, on the Little Lucky Farm.  I hope y'all had an equally lovely weekend and holiday!

Pooped pups.

9 comments:

Unknown said...

Do they ever share the couch with you ? :) We hit our garden, yards, coop, etc. hard this weekend to play catch-up. We'll celebrate next weekend...

Sue said...

Ha-I laughed when I saw the shovels by the door. I tried to put ours away, and hubby drug (dragged?) them right back again. He said "Why tempt the Gods of Snow like that?!!"

Mama Pea said...

I think it's so great that you and Melanie are doing the "leased" farm together. What fun! You're so far ahead of us in the spring-time category. Lots of melting in the past couple of days, but no way can we work outside yet.

Looks as though Scrappy is happy with his new housemate. They look like matching bookends on the couch.

Our snow shovels are still out in readiness because "the Gods of Snow" are due here again end of the week. Sigh.

Susan said...

LHIB - Never! Actually, we all squeeze on the couch every once in a while. But then the cats join in and it gets a little difficult to move. There's always so much to do, isn't there?

Susan said...

Sue - I have to agree with your hubby. I am afraid to put mine away. I don't want any more snow and I'll do whatever possible to keep it away!

Susan said...

Ah, Mama Pea. I know your spring really creeps (slowly) in - but it must feel so wonderful when it arrives! I wonder if there's some kind of dance we can all do to keep the GOS away from your neck of the woods until December???

Carolyn said...

Spring is wonderful, isn't it? Not too hot, not too cold. Well, sometimes.
Pooches look like they are abused. You should really treat them better.

Susan said...

I meant to tell you before how fantastically gorgeous is your leased greenhouse. I want one in the way a toddler wants six helpings of ice cream and chocolate syrup. in other words I would be overwhelmed but I still crave it. Lucky, lucky you. Sun yesterday, pouring rain today. I am panicking because I have nothing in the ground.

Fiona said...

Ahh spring is in the air....I have all the seed orders here in my seed bin...to cold to do much so I put them in divided sections in Alphabetical order. All the rattling and rustling the seeds make and the wonder art and photos on the packages!
The dogs are cozy book ends!