Hello Spring!!!

Well, hello my friends. It has been a little while since I posted due to the increased activity here on the homestead. Spring has officially arrived, and immediately the chores increase along with the daylight hours. I have been out in the garden quite often, harvesting what I can to eat, pulling things that are done or bolting, transplanting seedlings, succession sowing seeds every week or two indoors and out. I've also been watching the first colors of various flowers make their appearances through the soil and watching my new hens doing their best to fit in with the others. We always have projects that need doing, so getting to these lately has been easier with some of these beautiful sunny days that we have been getting here lately.

Today when I woke up, I made sure I had coffee in hand before venturing outside into the frosty but sunny backyard. My hands were a little frozen yesterday morning, so I was trying to avoid that happening again. I noticed that the water for the hens was frozen over again. This just reinforces my reasoning for not planting out my tomatoes yet, so I pat myself on the back for not being fooled by the sun. I take a walk through the gardens mentally noting what I should get done today, also thinking to myself I should bring paper to make a list next time, since it seems a lot needs doing. Pull some weeds there, yank out the bolting plants, stir the compost, add layers of compost to beds and containers, transplant those beets, lettuce, chard and herbs from the greenhouse. The list goes on. Oh, look how tall my peas are starting to get... I am proud of those guys, and I hope I get a lot of peas this year, they are so good fresh, but I would love to have enough to preserve.

I thought to myself "I'm getting hungry maybe I'll go make some breakfast before I get started". So, I grab a container and pick some spinach leaves until I got a couple of cups worth and a couple of green onions. I cracked a few eggs, sliced some mushrooms, along with some ham slices and washed and prep the veg I just harvested. In a few minutes breakfast is ready, a spinach, mushroom, green onions, ham and cheddar omelet served alongside a piece of my mom's banana bread. Yummmm! I had been planning to make my own banana bread lately, but I guess I'll just dehydrate most of the bunches of bananas today since my mom gave us a loaf yesterday. I keep eating all the banana chips, so I better keep making them, I just love snacking on those things, and they seem to help with my sweet tooth cravings.

After eating breakfast, I decided that it had been too long since I updated everyone on the blog about what has been happening, so I made it a point to at least check in today. Truthfully, I have a lot to get done today and want to take advantage of some sunshine, so I had planned to keep this post short. Then I'd have no excuses as to not getting outside and getting at least some of that mental to-do list checked off. I am in the last quarter of my schooling before completing my Associates Degree too, so I have been just swamped with homework the past couple of weeks. I also have been keeping up with my goal to read a book every week. Right now, I'm reading The Urban Homestead: You Guide to Self-sufficient Living in the Heart of the City by Kelly Coyne and Erik Knutzen. Also perusing the pages of Niki Jabbour's Veggie Garden Remix: 224 New Plants to Shake Up Your Garden & Add Variety, Flavor, and Fun I'm really enjoying both of the titles. I will try harder to keep you guys updated about the happenings around here and I hope to take more photos to upload too. Until next time my friends, take care of yourselves and get outside in the sunshine and fresh air when you can.