My computer had reached a state of memory overload such that I couldn't download any more photos. I missed posting pictures, and I missed writing, so I'm happy to have memory and a bit of time on this rainy night to catch up.
On Friday, Phil realized that the grass in the orchard was a bit out of control, reaching a good foot and a half in places.
He mowed it with the tractor. Because we have the metal building blocking the entrance to each row, Phil has to drive down each row, back up all the way, and drive down the next section. Horribly inefficient. We eagerly anticipate the day that he can make a beautiful, winding line around the orchard without backtracking.
I planted the remaining flats of flowers down by the bees. Many of my nasturtiums, planted a week or two now, are growing well. I'm pleased with the parts of the moon bed that are done, and I'm keeping up on weeding—so far.
Phil mentioned that he had dug in a pile of woodchips near the compost pile, and uncovered ten worms with each shovelful. How exciting! I've wanted to seed the greenhouse with worms, so Isaiah and I dug up worms, and then I dropped them along the plants in the greenhouse: lettuce, tomatoes, various other experimental plants. After I did that, I read that generally seeding with worms doesn't work, as the worm population self-regulates. However, if we've killed many worms through tillage, perhaps adding a few wouldn't be bad.
(To round out the worm story: the red wrigglers that I got from a friend over Christmas are finally multiplying well. But the large container of nightcrawlers I've been hoping for have mostly, it appears, died. I did not provide them the optimal environment: too much moisture, probably too much manure. Of the dozens of nightcrawlers I've added over the last few months, I found about eight. And since, apparently, worms decompose rapidly, the rest of the worms appear to have entirely vanished.)
Friday was an exciting day for me, too, because my ten elderberry cuttings arrived. I put them in pots right away, but they will grow. Wyldewood Cellars, where I bought them, plants theirs five feet apart, with ten feet between rows: and the elderberries can grow into one huge shrub if not kept trimmed. The Wyldewood variety is supposed to produce about 40-60 pounds of fruit per bush annually: pretty impressive and about three times the average elderberry. (If you're interested, call Marge at 800.711.9748. She is a delight to talk to, and sounds like a sprightly 60-year-old. She's actually 84, and takes no meds but a tablespoon of elderberry syrup every day. I don't know many people age 84 on no meds: good for her!)
Friday Abraham also mentioned that his tooth felt strange. He has a permanent front tooth poking up, and hadn't even noticed that his baby tooth was loose!
Saturday saw Abraham's transformation into a cowboy.
A happier cowboy you would never hope to see.
That day Phil continued mowing: between orchard trees by hand, then with the tractor all around the former market garden, now in cover crops.
We also sold the remaining three sheep. Ashley and Acorn have been with us since shortly after we moved, the longest animal residents here. Phil is excited to have extra time not moving them daily.
K. van Bourgondien, the bulb importer where I ordered such good daffodils last fall, is having their end of season sale. I bought some asparagus plants at a great price, and some other bulbs and flowers just for fun.
At some point last week, I heard a terrific crash from the barn. I think a cat was chasing a mouse and knocked a clay pot off the upper shelf. I found the pot a few days later. I had taken two cuttings from my little fig tree when I planted it, and stuck them in a damp sand-perlite mixture, covered with a plastic bag.
Since the cuttings had been knocked out of their place, I was pleased to see the little fig rootlet poking out. Incredible, how things grow!
The jujubes, too, in their little pots, keep getting bigger.
Last night a gentle rain began to fall. It fell all night, and this morning, when we got a call from the post office that we had a package marked "perishable" (600 comfrey root bits!), Phil couldn't get the van up the driveway. He took the truck. Then the UPS man delivered 200 little blueberry plants: it's like spring has really sprung here.
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