Spring Cleaning

I usually hate the weather as a topic of conversation, and I really hate watching the weather report on t.v. because they tend to like to tell us how to feel about the weather. Sunshine? Happy! Rain? Aw, so sad. How about they just tell us what it's going to do, and we'll decide how we feel about it? As a gardener, I am not categorically sad every time it rains, thank you very much, and I do not like the sun in my face at all.

Yesterday, however, the sun did make me happy (you win, weather forecaster!) because it provided a dry day to get some garden clean up done. I think -- no, I know -- that I feel happier for the chickens when it's dry out than I do for myself because they get to spread out a little more. 

 My first order of business was to clean up in the garden section of the chicken yard area. This is the part that gets closed off during growing season, and it's where I left a lot of the root vegetable stalks in the ground over winter. Here you can see how excited those birds get when I turn over any fresh dirt. Clara was front and center as usual, climbing all over my boots and forcing me to keep a watchful eye on Argalus lest he thought I might try to capture her. I just loved working out there, listening to the chickens chortle and coo as they picked around.

Teensie is my sun kitten. Her sissy, Possum, was my rain kitty, who loved the cool breezes and to lay in her chair in the deck alcove looking out at the rain. Teensie adores the warmth, and she was luxuriating in the grass while we worked.

Proof that I was working. The winter rains and freezing brought more (and more and more and more) rocks to the surface, which I raked into nice little piles.

And which the chickens immediately began to kick apart. 

After I raked rocks and The Big Guy trimmed some water shoots off the fruit trees, we headed out to the blueberry patch. The nice thing about a slow spring is the opportunity to do some clearing before things start growing too much and while you can see what you're doing. The blueberry bushes (7 Chippewa, 3 Northblue) are about three years old and, so far, they're growing each year and we haven't lost any. They're not big producers yet, though the new growth this year looks very nice, and getting the blackberry vines and weeds out should help a lot. 

Mr. Schnoogles waiting very patiently for the berries to come. 

I know how he feels. I get antsy this time of year, planning the garden and organizing my seeds and waiting for that-which-shall-not-be-discussed to cooperate so I can get things going. Hang in there, Buddy, it won't be too much longer!