Short Shrift.

I had planned on featuring my chickens - who have been getting short shrift around here, except for my gratitude for their outstanding egg-laying ability of late.  When I walked into the coop this morning, camera phone in hand, I was met with one dead-as-a-doornail chicken and another who has been placed on DW (death watch).  Sigh.  It figures - they made it through the rigors of winter, only to keel over from the exertion in the Halcyon Days of spring. 


I will, instead, lead you on a wild and merry chase through my weekend.


Since it was Easter weekend and my presence was expected north on Sunday, I thought I could put in a full day on Saturday.  I am so funny.  I opened my package containing my special T-5 bulbs for my little greenhouse and...they were not the size they were reported to be.  Drat.  I had to drive to the nearest big box (HomeAwayFromHome Depot) store (a good half hour away) to either find a fixture to fit or ... Plan C.  Since I had to leave the house anyway, I decided to drop eggs off at the food pantry, stop at the library and make a run through the transfer station.  I then remembered that I had not gotten my 2017 transfer station pass, so added a trip to the town clerk's office.  Needless to say, half the day was gone by the time I got back home.  There was some frantic planting of onions, cleaning, weeding and mulching of the strawberry bed, and the spring cleaning of the duck huts. 




"After"

This design has worked out well.

I decided to spare you the "Before", but you can tell how bad it was by  the high 'water' mark on the wall of the first pic - biggify to see, if you dare.  You will also notice that the ducks refuse to use the nice nesting box I included in the design of this hut.  It's become their personal latrine.  They always lay their eggs in the same spot.  The girls were so thrilled about their clean digs, that they went in and out three or four times, quacking loudly in delight.  I choose to think it was delight and not, "About time, lady!"

Leggy Seedling Alert!

Herb seedlings

I ended up having to buy separate fixtures and different bulbs for the seedlings.  As you can see on the first tier, the seedlings (lettuce and kale) got all leggy on me because I a) did not have the right light above them and b) had it too far away.  Isn't it good that I took that seed starting workshop?  Geez.  I planted celery in the six-pack next to them and the tray below is planted with oregano (could those seeds be any smaller?  I think not.), parsley, basil, chervil, and cilantro.  There is more seed-starting in store for this weekend.

My favorite view from the kitchen.

Although I'm trying hard not to get too giddy about the onset of spring - it can be so cruel - it's hard not to think that it is finally here and here to stay.  The sun has been out for over two days!  We did have rain, but it was not a gusher and happened overnight.  My favorite kind.  I set up one of the rain barrels and it was filled the next morning.  I am planning on setting up another in the chicken/duck yard.  This, I hope, will save me wear and tear, toting 5 gal. buckets of water from the barn to the back.

Grass!  Dogs!

Even the inside plants are rarin' to get outside!

Over-wintered geraniums

FIG TREE! and Meyers Lemon tree.  Can't wait
until the jungle is outside.

Another sign that spring has sprung?

The last time it will be this clean.

The Nuggets are arriving at any moment.  ***Make that HAVE ARRIVED!***  I have such a bone to pick with the USPS.  I signed up for their text service - which was to alert me by text at every change in status.  I started with "Label has been generated" and there it stayed.  I checked it this morning six or seven times.  Still at the label stage.  Then I got to work, opened my phone and had six messages from the USPS and one from my post office.  Apparently, they magically went from label to delivered in less than two hours!  Amazing!  Spectacular!  Baloney!  I had to call my neighbor to ask him to pick them up and hold them for me.  I can, hopefully, leave early to go fetch them and get them snugged in.  I am not a happy camper. 


I will do a separate post with garden-type pics, once I can get myself out there with my camera.  Not that there is much to see, but at least there is no snow.  Wait.  Can I take that back?  Did I just put the big Hinky Jinky on myself?