Month: May 2012
Tomatoes
Farming has Begun in Earnest
We are especially busy this spring. Normally we have our usual spring farm work, getting the ground ready for vegetables, and that usually takes most of our time. This year, however, we have added replanting one of our pastures to the list of spring work, which essentially doubles the amount of land we have to work. We are getting it done, but we only have so much equipment and it has to be spread around and used in different areas.
Breaking out the Hammock
I just couldn’t resist. The weather was gorgeous, the day lazy and it was begging to happen. I try to keep Sundays as a day of rest, and for the most part I have been successful. Even with this nice weather, I still try to make Sundays a family day. Really, every day is a family day, but the other six are a mix of ballet, soccer, track, school and work. Yet somehow and some way we get through every day, so Sundays we rest and play to get ready for the upcoming week.
Naturally, I went into the barn and found the hammock and practiced resting in it J. I wasn’t overly successful, because my kiddos (and they know who they are) kept asking for a turn every 5 minutes and when you have as many kiddos as I do, every 5 minutes takes a half an hour to cycle through the requests. I was determined, but they were more determined and outnumbered me. Eventually, I found myself sharing the hammock or being swung in it and, to their glee, almost out of it! Of course, it was a lot of fun and served as a distraction so Joelle could enjoy her time in the sun (a “bonus” mother’s day gift). That hammock is a magnet for laughter, memories and fun, which are the best gifts a parent can ask for, save the “sea” sickness, of course.
Happy Mother’s Day!
Hang On To Your Hats, It's Time To Farm!
Hang on to your hat, because these next few weeks are going to be a class 5 kayak ride! We were behind a few weeks ago, but now we are getting nervous. If the weather doesn’t break soon so that the rain lets up, I won’t be harvesting anything until August. At least we have snuck in (mudded in) a few plants in between rain storms. Our first plantings of peas are up and our second plantings are just emerging. The strawberries and raspberries are sending out new leaves every day and those two nice weekends we had gave the bees enough warmth to get out and work in the orchard. Now,it is a waiting game to see if (and how much of) the fruit will set.
After last year’s horrible spring, I decided to diversify and plant some more perrienels , like raspberries, strawberries, apples, pears, plums as well as herbs. Even the beef help to mitigate springs like these. Every season has its ups and downs, challenges and triumphs. By diversifying we are able to cover expenses and even out the waves of life or seasons. Looking forward to calm waters ahead.