Garden plans, and realities...

Planted my garden after much weeding.  Even with weed fabric, and a heavy layer of mulch, I had MUCH grass hay to pull.  On the bright side, there was some volunteer potatoes, so I am hopeful for multicolored potato salad later, hee hee!

Put in some zucchini and crookneck, and
an acorn squash plant. Also some tomatoes.  Oh, and a cucumber plant, and watermelon.  The weather had been warm, and wet.  After planting them, I came out to find slugs had a buffet on a few things. I covered the watermelon, it seems like that is the worst one to be eaten. But, one tomato I'd just started, and wanted so badly to grow, was mowed down by those little slime monsters.  On the bright side, I have several different types, but only had enough seed for one Berkeley Tie Dye, so... Get more later, I guess.

I put in Orca dry bush beans, some Blue Lake green beans, kohlrabi, carrots (yes, I am a glutton for punishment), and some Swiss chard.  Flowers, too.

Strawberries lasted through the winter, and are coming up well, so...

I seem to have a bit more time to focus, and a bit less being on the go (which, surprisingly, I am enjoying!), so, I will see if the garden does a bit better with more care and less benign neglect.

Oh, I planted some pumpkin, too, and found 3 or for Oak tree starts.  I will move them later, but I think I will just enjoy little trees in my raised beds!  Crazy, yes, why do you ask?

N is for New.

I think new is a relative term.  I am learning to use fountain pens for writing, and eventually I want to learn how to make a quill pen, and use that, too.  Might even make my own paper to go with it.  Just to see how to do it.

Victorian Trading Company... WANT!

Now, this isn't "new" by much of any standard.  But it's something I haven't tried, so it is new to me.

I recently helped a woman learn to knit... And she is about 70+.  It was not a new process, but it was new to her.  (And I guess she is knitting up anything she can get her hands on...  Bwa ha ha, the cycle continues!)

I learned recently how to do Blackfoot spindle spinning, which is very much not a new process.  But it's new to me.

So, I am wondering when a 5 year old today will be ready for AARP, I wonder what things we do now might be "new" to them?

*****

Oh, man, oh, man, is the pollen going crazy here!  My poor husband is just miserable.  His eyes are itchy, (actually, mine too), and I sound like a bloodhound on the scent about half the time... We get a vehicle out, and it actually looks slightly golden because of all the pollen on it.  I realize it's spring, but it has been a doozy this year!  The animals haven't seemed to be affected, (can chickens get hay fever?), but it seems like most of the people I know have been a bit affected, even those normally having no problems.  I guess I should be thankful tho, we have no predictions of snow in the forecast.  Someone really needs to kick Punxsutawney Phil's butt... 

The Neighborhood Watch group I work with is getting some changes going on, I and another gal will be working in one area, and the gent that heads it up will be working in another.  We decided that he had some places that he was working on, and wanted to spear head, so we took some other, closer areas.  I hope it works out.  The biggest part for me will be to start leading meetings.  I have done so a couple times, but there would be more for the other gal and I to do... And since she's new, she will have to practice, too!  

Have some garden plants coming up.  Cucumber and Zukes, mostly.  I really think Zucchini is an alien life form.  Let's face it, you put one seed in the ground, and up comes this huge thing that has multiple babies, that grow overnight from reasonable, to monstrous and overwhelming brickbat size.  But, I like zucchini bread, and putting it in soups, so I will be very happy if they are productive.  

Oh, and I will have some tomatoes, too, but they aren't doing quite as well.  But, it's early yet, and if worse comes to worse, I can always 'cheat' and get some plants.  But I have to be careful this year... I mean, there is a limit to how many planter pots I have, so buying a whole bunch of tomato plants could lead to disaster.  (And deer LOVE tomato plants... Ask me how I know...)  >:(

I can't remember if I mentioned this, but my chickens have started a health regimen.  I am opening the door in the morning, they flood out, turn to the left, and start running, they go around the hen pen... Then do it again.  I waited, and they have gone 'round the hen pen as many as 4 times, before stopping, staring, and Chattanooga giving me a pant leg tug, to let me know I haven't fed them yet.  I am going to try and get this on video, they are really consistent.  

I had to laugh, Husband watched them, and I saw the gears turning in his head.  "We should put a gate up in the back, to see what happens."  I have this image of a poultry style NASCAR crash, with everyone coming to a rather abrupt stop.

So, we shall see if I can get pics, soon!