Sunday, February 22, 2015

Meanwhile Back at the Ranch

Well we are through most of February with some signs of spring. Our yard is still a soggy, sloppy mess so we have to imagine what it will be like in nicer weather.
Saturday we attended the farm and tractor show. Winston had fun picking out his next tractor. There probably wasn't one we didn't sit on.

The bobcat brochure has made for some interesting nighttime reading. 


Four of what now will be eight raised beds are in. We have had enough rain and snow that the soil had a chance to settle and I can refill. The remaining four will be smaller and hopefully finished in the next couple weeks. My soil pile is frozen so can't do much until that thaws out. 

The first of the vegetable seeds have been started. I don't have a good spot for them so they are on the floor in the office. I bought a 4 bulb T5 a few years back but this is the first time using it on seedlings. We will see.
I'm taking full advantage of an expanded garden to try a bit more than in past years. So far there a 7 types of tomatoes, 5 types of peppers, 4 types of lettuce, 4 types of greens, and one type of spinach started. Next month I will stagger about half as much and get some things like carrots and beets in the ground. I may even break down and get a cold frame. 
 
Sam is starting to paint the kids' rooms. Both are going to be some color of green with stripes. It's not nearly as lime-colored as the picture shows.
 


Monday, February 9, 2015

Welcome to 2015

We had a weekend in the 60's and 70's in February and took full advantage of it to work outside. We started working outside early enough on Sunday that Winston didn't get out of his pajamas all day.
The raised beds for the new garden are coming along. Size, scope, and number seem to change every time I work on them.
 
Right now we have three large beds (4x16), one medium bed (4x12), and will eventually have four small beds (4x4). In January I called to see when the soil place would be making garden dirt. I guess they had some available because we got it right away.

 
The backyard is still half mud from construction which is a challenge keeping the boy and the dog clean.
 
Southern exposure comes in handy this time of year.
 
We cleaned up the front beds some too. All of the landscaping had been neglected for at least a couple years and is looking a bit overgrown. We have plenty of soggy leaves, weeds, and other dead material to remove which isn't all going to happen this year.
 
A front shot of the front door and filler panel where the second front door was.