Growing

Welcoming with open arms these rain clouds - will take these over snow any day.

Oh life has been so gloriously busy these days.  Lots of hard work, sweat and smiles happening in our little piece of the earth.  The garden is (mostly) in and I'm just praying for my peppers - which were planted late - to come up.  My sugar snap peas are now house plants, tied up from pot to window frame with strings and I see three little pods on them.  That little project I started in March to help welcome spring with Jenna from Cold Antler Farm.  It was more fun than for food.

 I found several patches of rhubarb as I got the garden ready.  I don't make many pies but I did boil it down with sugar the way my grandmother did when I was a girl and my mother and I had it with toast.  Oh such sweet memories.

 I am so looking forward to my onions, squash, cucumber, peppers, tomatoes, lettuce, beets, chives, sage, celery, kale, basil, pumpkins strawberries and raspberries.  Is it too late for potatoes?  I'm not sure but I may just plant them anyway.  A neighbor gave me acorn squash (I have butternut) and zucchini so those will go in today.

My "kitchen garden" where I'll grow the peppers, tomatoes, herbs, lettuce.

The "main garden" before tilling - pumpkins, squash, cucumber, onions, beets, potatoes.

Cilantro and chives coming up at the back of the yard.

The weather here has been beautiful.  I'm home all week this week and looking forward to all of the extra time with my girls.  These days I can barely pull myself into the house to vacuum but all the laundry is done since that means hanging it outside to dry.  I am so incredibly thankful right now for all of our blessings.

I'm sad to say that we are taking care of a sick chicken.  We aren't sure what's happened to her but we talked to the vet this morning and we will be bringing her into the house and syringe feeding her.  She is very dehydrated and can't hold her head up.  In fact, when she does try to hold it up it waves around wildly.  We think it might be botulism.  Donny had mentioned before that she seems out of sorts, then getting better, than hiding.  But just yesterday I went into the coop and as all the chickens rushed to greet me she fell right out of the door poor thing.  It was then that I saw how sick she was and immediately starting looking up the cause.  We've put her in a rubbermaid container and gave her some water and sugar water soaked bread and we hope to nurse her back to health.  Please send positive thoughts our way that she gets better.  And any advice is appreciated.