It’s coming and now we can finally feel it. I actually got to sit on our little stoop this evening and drink a beer while David sharpened the chainsaw and the kids ran around in the yard. Spring is on its way!
The chicks are growing like crazy, about 3 times the size they were when they arrived 1.5 weeks ago, and their feathers have really started to come out. They’ve been flapping around and some even get some height off the ground. We still have all 27 that we started with! I’m totally shocked but there are now at least two with crooked beaks that probably won’t make it.
We’ve been taking advantage of the time change to get some more digging done in the evenings after David gets home from work. I think the soil is just about dried out enough that we can start planting this weekend. April 11th is the magic likely-frost-free date for us, which means we can start planting beans, peas and lettuces since they prefer the cooler weather.
The sod here is about 6 inches thick and the soil is actually pretty good, especially considering this used to be a baseball field. In this picture, we cut the sod with a shovel and literally just turn it over on it self to kill the grass. Then we put the raised bed box over that, and fill it half with composted manure and half with soil from the field. We’re starting out with 8 raised beds of veggies and then fruit trees, some brambles and some vines. It won’t all work but better just to get started than to waste more time worrying about it, right?
In other exciting news, our garden was also lucky enough to be visited by Mary Poppins (with the umbrella of course) and the Princess.
