Clyde woke us way before we wanted to get up this morning by wriggling around the bed like an angry worm and trying to lick our faces. I rubbed the sleep from my eyes and let him outside to pee before trying to fall back asleep; ignoring his pitiful yelps to be let back in. There would be no sleeping in this Friday, so we discussed the game plan for the day while remaining horizontal as long as possible. The dump would be the first stop, then Lowe's and maybe a biscuit for breakfast...perhaps a spicy chicken biscuit. We needed to load our trash and the railroad ties we were returning, so borrowing a page from the Egyptians; we used the lever method to load the 9ft 150lb creosote soaked death bombs into the bed of the pickup. After dropping off our refuse, we returned the railroad ties for cash and gave it right back to Lowe's as we loaded up on manure, pine mulch and peat moss. It was nearly noon and we still hadn't eaten so we agreed to splurge and enjoyed the lunch special at Giovanni's; salad, pizza and a beverage. I wasn't sure we would be up for transplanting cold weather tolerant seedlings from the basement to the raised bed, putting in 100 strawberry plants, putting blueberry bushes in old whiskey barrels and then devising a way to protect all those things from deer. But one should never underestimate the power of a beautiful spring day. It was near 70 degrees for the first time this year and the dogs were panting something fierce. We tag teamed the strawberries, herbs, onions and blueberry bushes then got down to creating a netting fence for the raised bed and chicken wire shields for the whiskey barrel blueberry bushes. We had intended on putting in the apple trees, raspberries and blackberries but as the sun and our energy got lower and lower; we knew it was time to call it a day around 6:30. After feeding the voracious chicks and loading our filth into the laundry, we each enjoyed a soil removal session in the shower. I shaved off my beard for the first time in more than a year, feeling so fresh and so clean afterward but a little guilty that I made April live with Grizzly Adams for so long. We felt drained of all life force but satisfied with the results of our labor. There will always be more to do tomorrow, but having 24 happy chickens, two exhausted dogs, the promise of berries, onions, broccoli, eggplant and herbs galore in our raised bed means we will sleep happily tonight. And that we are one step closer to being real country, farming folk.
The raised bed protected by pvc hoops covered with wildlife netting...and Otto. Carport and garage in background
blueberry bushes in whiskey barrels protected by chicken wire shields by South side of house. Windows look out from dining area and kitchen.
blondie and lois the red hen chick practice gossiping like church ladies
A chicken crossing the road is poultry in motion.
ReplyDelete