Still having spring fever!

We had our last organic gardening class this week. There was a seed swap at the end of class. Although we did not have seeds to share, there were so many offerings we were able to get many types of seeds for our gardens. Chris finally had to tell me to stop!

I think I will try to build my first raised bed this Sunday. I would like to have six of them. I may need a few more, with everything I have to grow. Actually, the gourds will probably do better in our sandy soil, rather than the raised beds. I think I should save our "good" soil in the beds for our vegetables. The gourds can make themselves at home in the ground.

I will have to construct some kind of barrier to keep the chickens out of the garden. I love to let them out and free range. They get to play, run, flap and do all things chicken. I also love that they will gorge themselves on grasshoppers and crickets. Last year, Chris would hunt for tomato hornworms to feed to the chickens. He gets some sort of sadistic pleasure out of it and will at times sing "Circle of Life" as he sacrifices some ravenous, tomato devouring worm to the hens. Silly man. I just love him.

The seeds I ordered from Seed Savers shipped today, so I expect them to arrive soon. I have some worries about starting from seed, but will give it my best effort. It is so exciting, to grow food for yourself. I suppose it is easy for me to say that. If my crops fail, I can still go to the grocery store for food. Centuries ago, that certainly was not an option!

I am looking forward to this Saturday. I will be scrapbooking with Angie and the girls. I am ready for a marathon scrap session. I do need to get some photos developed, but always have plenty of projects to work on. Hanging out with my friends is the best part; doing my favorite hobby while chatting is the icing on the cake.

I am anxiously watching the fruit trees we planted last fall. We planted semi-dwarf apple, pear, and peach trees, one of each. I know they probably won't fruit this year, but I just want to know they survived the winter. It got so cold this year.

So, I'll keep dreaming of the wonderful food I'll grow here on our little homestead, Cackle Berry Farm.

Dream: A road trip to the Angry Trout Cafe

I was browsing on one of my favorite sites this morning, www.localharvest.org. I love to see all the cool eco-stuff and dream big. I ran across an item called the Angry Trout Cafe Notebook. This cool book with a pretty trout on the cover is part cookbook, part inspiration on how a small business can thrive sustainably.

I googled the title and sure enough, I found the cafe on the north shore of Lake Superior, in Grand Marais, Minnesota. It sits right on the lake, surrounded by water and boats. No Coke or Pepsi advertising, use of local products and resources, use of wind power--this place is right up my alley!

I checked on MapQuest. A 14 hour drive could have us there for a tasty meal. I think it sounds like a fine adventure and it hasn't taken much to talk Chris into it. So, if we can find someone to critter-sit, we may be able to have a bit of a getaway! Now, I'll have to see if Grand Marais has a nice bed and breakfast.

Almost spring!

Sooo, we are again planning our garden. Hub is psyched about making terraced beds and I am excited about building raised beds. I hope to get to work on my beds this week. I'd like at least six. Check out the Garden Girl, Patti Moreno, for the technique I will be using. Her site is:

www.gardengirltv.com

We have been attending a local organic gardening class. The best part has been making connections with people from our community who are also interested in organic gardening. I hope to encourage them to join us on a yahoo group to keep in touch and share resources and produce.

The chickens are thriving. We still have our ten original hens, plus two Auracana hens we got at Dinky's auction house last July. We actually got ten Auracana chicks, but only two are still with us. I'll spare everyone the story of what happened to the others.

We have been getting 6-12 eggs a day, even in the winter. This winter has been so bitter, we put a portable radiator space heater in the coop. They girls were nice and toasty and their water didn't freeze.

Esther Bunny died last year, just a couple of month after we got her. I was heartbroken. She was a sweetie. Binky continues to thrive and he is quite a rotten little rodent. He has such personality!

Last fall, at the Fiber Arts Festival in Corydon, Indiana, I purchased another Angora rabbit. She is a satin Angora. Her color is lovely, almost apricot. I named her Angel even before I bought her. We have had to work with her to prevent wool block. She eats better than we do, lots of lettuce, kale, turnip greens, beets and carrots. She will eat broccoli, but definitely prefers leafy things. She is so gentle and sweet.

I don't plan on any more rabbits. I love these Angoras, but they are work! When these bunnies finally go (may that be many years), I would love to get another rabbit or two. But I think I'll choose something with a lot less fur! The rabbit poop is great for the garden and will be awesome in the worm bin we will be making soon.

On the work front, we just completed our annual State survey and did well. My Alzheimer's unit passed with flying colors and no tags. I am so relieved.

I am also busy working on my bachelor's degree in nursing. It has been a challenge, but I am thrilled that I have taken this step in my professional life.

Speaking of school, time to get busy on homework!