Spring Green

Spring–or maybe Summer?–has sprung all at once. A week ago the trees were all mostly bare but we’ve had really warm weather (temperatures in the high 70s) and suddenly everything is green. It’s amazing!

I’ve got most of my herb garden planted and EJ is working on planting the vegetable garden in the back yard. He hopes to finish planting in the next day or two.

Yesterday I washed clothes and hung them out on the clothesline. It was nice, although with our neighbor’s house being built just over the hill, it wasn’t quite as quiet as it usually is. I will be glad when the house is finished, although I hope, hope, hope our neighbors will be quiet. EJ says he doubts they will, since the man enjoys working on performance vehicles which has loud motors. Sigh. I’ve gotten a bit spoiled by them only visiting their small vacation house a few times during the summer months.

Yesterday I also mowed the lawn for the first time this year. I had trouble getting the mower started, as I always do the first time I use it since last year. But EJ was able to easily get it started for me. We have five acres, but most of it is forested so I only mow up around the house. That’s still more mowing than we had to do downstate, but I don’t mind it. I love the way the lawn looks when it is freshly mowed.

The warm weather made me hungry for potato salad so I made some yesterday afternoon. We had beef brats and potato salad for lunch today. Yum.

Last fall I cut off the heads of the sunflowers and hung them at the windows in the kitchen. Yesterday I took them down and de-seeded them. I was going to plant them the same day, but I was tired from everything else I did so I decided to wait.

As soon as I get out of bed, I feed hungry Hannah Joy, then I feed the cats. For the outside cats, I put a bowl of food on the front porch and one in an old doghouse in the back yard garden. Then I fill the water dishes with fresh water, open the coop to let the chickens and cats out, and refill the chickens’ feeder. Next I fill the wild bird feeder near the deck. If Hannah Joy needs out, I take her out. I get the sprinklers set up to water the herb and vegetable gardens. I have to move the vegetable garden sprinkler from one spot to another so that the water reaches the whole garden. Then I go into the house to take my shower and settle down with a cup of coffee.

I probably won’t have to water the gardens tomorrow because the next few days are supposed to be rainy-ish. It looks as if there could be periods where we can go out and finish planting. The rain will be good for the gardens.