Garden Goodness

Kids and gardens and me just all go together. 
I love my kids.  I love my garden.  It's our favorite place to be.
I think Kole and Joey love it because they are free to eat whatever they want.
Their fingers, mouths, and spots they've touched on their bellies are constantly stained from fresh strawberry juice.  They also pick carrots out of the ground and eat those. 
Which is slightly less cool because it's basically eating a mud stick.  They don't even brush them off.  Yee-uck.
But picking beans off the vines and munching fresh raspberries and snap peas with my two little cubs- makes my life unbeatable. 

The boys light up when I say, "Let's go work in the garden!"  Of course, their idea of working in the garden is inspecting each plant, digging in the dirt for bugs, and eating what they consider to be ripe.  Poor Joey has eaten a lot of white strawberries this year.  But, he does so with a smile, and always says, "MMmm!  Love it!"

When the plants were just perking up. Circa mid to end of July.

 

When the boys checked on the potato plants they stuck their heads clear inside.  Very very thorough.

These gals are still cluckin' around.  And I've eaten a lifetime's share of omelets, egg salad sandwiches, and quiche.

After a hard days work- you gotta cool off in the kiddie pool and then get right back to tractorin'.  According to Joey.

It's a happy wonderful life at Crooked Row Farm.

X, Y, Z It's Spring.

Spring makes me feel excited all over. 
When I'm inside I've been opening closets and cupboards and saying, "Ok!  Let's do this!"  I grab some empty diaper boxes and a Hefty bag and tear it up.  And I'm giving it to Goodwill.  Not the DI.  (Please.  Hold your applause until the end.)
When I'm outside I'm donning the gardening gloves (makes me less scared of bugs (applause would be appropriate here)) and digging.  I'm making mini-walls, creating flowers beds, and transplanting everything around here that's in the wrong place. 
And... in a way.  I feel like I'm transplanting myself.  Things within me that were in the wrong place, are being righted.
Has that ever happened to you?
It gets warm and breezy.  You spend the whole day in the sun...helping the Earth.
And after you're done working you lay on the grass and look up....
And you're blossoming into someone new?

Last Years A to Z:
X is for Xiphoid Process.  A little anatomy lesson. 
Y is for Yurt.  I know xiphoid process... yurt?  How many weird words do I know!  A plethora of them.  Ken wants to renounce humanity and live in a yurt.  Save me. 
Z is for Zeal  This post was about a bad day/week or so with Koley-Roosk.  (Did time really stop for a year?)  It is honest.  And lovely.  I loved re-reading it.  And I loved reading the comments.  I've got some good readers.

G is for Garden Markers by Moi

I decided to power up my garden markers this year.  I got the idea on Pinterest.  And may I add an emphasis on idea because I looked at this picture:

And said... "Well, THERE'S an idea I can improve on."  Which is big of me to say.  Because although I've always considered myself smarter than most average and above average bears (bordering genius really).  And, considering I've always known I was burdened with good looks that challenged those of Helen of Troy. (Everyone thinks so.) And because I'm flat out funny (Proof.  More proof.  Extended proof.)  That there makes up the tri-fecta.  I've never considered myself artsy.  That I left to my sisters.  Talent overfloweth.

"Birthday Flowers" by Victoria.
Hanging in my bathroom.

"Doug" by Victoria

"After" by Victoria

"Abstract" by Julia

"That's Amore" by Julia

Julia's got herself a fancy Etsy shop too! Bee tee dubya.  I've pretty much stuck to coloring books.  But this Pinterest pin sparked something within me.  So, while I didn't think I could really do all that well... I knew I had my other qualities to fall back on and I might as well give it a whirl.  And I had a vision in mind.  Well...
Watch out Julia!  and Victoria!  And Wassily Kandinsky!

Take THAT Georgia O'Keeffe.
My specialty is painting vegetables on rocks that I stole from The Pond and using them as garden markers.  Ka-freekin-boom!
Bit of a niche market, right Henri Matisse? A bit time consuming.  But... like my predecessors, van Gogh and Seurat... I'm just artsy enough to appreciate that.


Last year's A to Z: G is for Giant Baby.  Kole was a rocking11 pounds... it's been constantly one upped since.

Poulsen Plantation

Ken and I moved into a home with 2 acres of land behind it.  It has a very rural peaceful feeling.  I've contemplated calling it "Tara."  I think the name was lost on Ken (and maybe others).
Kole likes to take "hikes" back there.  There's lots for a little boy to love.  Deer, foxes, snakes, horse poop, deer poop, a trough... that in a moment when I couldn't remember the word "trough" I told Kole it was a deer bath.  I didn't say, "It's to hold water for animals."  I said, "It's a deer bath."  And now that's what Kole calls it.  It's at the very end of the acreage so it's normally our destination point.  To The Deer Bath!  Maybe we'll catch 'em scrubbing down before bed.

With Spring here (I said it.  Cats out of the bag!  It's officially Spring.)  Ken and I have been making plans for our new Plantation.  Or maybe Compound.  Sorta depends on which way we go with it.  I thought Poulsen Plantation.  But when I said Plantation I said it all sing-songy and made me think of  "A Dalmatian Plantation!"  Darn every last one of those 101 Dalmatians.  It's all I think of now when I say Poulsen DALMATIAN Plantation.  It just slips in unwanted.
Ken thinks another woman or two couldn't hurt thus making it a Compound... and, honestly, I'd welcome the help.  He might be on to something. 

We have plans for a big garden.  With way more fruits and vegetables than we can eat.  I know this because I went and bought seed two nights ago.  I bought 19 packs.  And yeah, I got the Swiss Chard.  I don't know what Swiss Chard tastes like but it sure sounded classy so I bought some Swiss Chard Seeds.  Try saying that out loud.  It comes out Swiss Chard Sheeds.  I have a tiller reserved for March 30.  We'll dig out the garden spot, stake a fence, and commence!  (Note to self:  Make friends so I have someone to give vegetables to.  Or just buy canning supplies and learn to can.)

Behind our garden spot is a miniature orchard of sorts.  It already has two peach trees, two apple trees, a pear tree, and a raspberry bush.  But, Costco had fruit trees for $11!  Did I say that loudly enough ELEVEN DOLLARS!  I wanted to score a cherry tree and a plum tree.  Yet to make that happen.  I'd like to add a sitting area and some flower beds to the orchard.  Because fruit trees are just so pretty and lush.  Oooo!  Maybe a hammock.  Wouldn't a little bird bath would be just darling.  Some paths.  Kids love paths.  I love paths. Instant game.  

Beyond The Orchard, there's a big red barn (tours given daily).  The barn will work well for shelter when we move the goats or sheep in.  Ken wants to put a little chicken coop back there too.

I'm thinking of adding a greenhouse... and heck... a water feature too.  I know I've lost it.
Doesn't it sound dreamy here?  So country.  A place to sit back and watch the grass grow and sip lemonade while wearing a big hat.



In about 5 years it will be that place.
For now?

*Sigh*
We are past overgrown.  Nature has taken over.  There are trees that have grown through chain link fences. Bushes that are over 20 feet tall.  And all those gorgeous, luscious, shade providing fruit trees... haven't been pruned in, I'd guess, 4 or 5 years.  And are about one third dead.  *defeated sigh*  And the barn... is... well... kinda falling a part. 

And it has some trees growing in/through it. 
But, *clears throat* there's potential. 
Just needs some trimming.

Come on.  Bear with me.  It's Spring!
There's blooms and buds on everything.  It smells fresh and open and new.  It's exciting. 
We've started cutting down and cutting back and cutting out.  And we have what appears to be 6 beaver dams scattered around our yard.

It's a work in progress.  But I've got big dreams for this place. 
And...

 With God as my witness!
*shakes fist doggedly in the air*