other stuff

The vegetables are really starting to take off, which is so cool. The peas are really climbing these days, and the pole beans are a few inches, now. I sure wish that I could have gotten started earlier. I'm looking forward to putting up the greenhouse so that I can start everything earlier next year. Man, the herbs I'm going to be growing!!! I really can't wait.

I also decided that my idea of having everything in raised beds might not be the way to go. The soil is looking really nice where all the cover has been grown for however long it's been there, and I think that the smartest move would actually be to rototill everything under this fall. The soil would use those nutrients, and by the spring, should be ready to plant. I definitely want the old house done this summer, but I'm also thinking that it will be pretty essential to make sure the ground is ready for planting next year. I could rototil everything under in September before the ground freezes. If I work on planting things early in the greenhouse, everything will be in pretty good shape by mid summer. It's going to be awesome!!! I know these things take time, but sometimes I just want it to be looking the way I want it to be looking. The good thing about things taking time is that it seems as if the place slowly reveals how it wants to look. For instance, I haven't been sure what I want to do in the front of the deck (in the front field), but now I've decided to make a circular herb garden area there. I might have missed out on that had it not taken me so long. But regardless, it's pretty awesome seeing this stuff work itself out!

Here's a picture of the old windows I used as raised beds. The lettuce and spinach are awesome!





A picture of Suimo, (I have no idea how to spell that!), who has been hanging out with the goats in the old wood shed. I've pretty much got the shed ready to go--just a few more boards needed in the front,--and the guys helped me extend the fence area the other day.



We also moved the little duck house I built last year so that the geese and Ted can have their own privacy. Ted and Waddlesworth were totally getting beat up by the male ducks and the roosters, and since they have moved to their new home, Waddlesworth is nesting and Ted is basking in the glory of being left alone. Watkins, on the other hand, keeps getting out (we have no idea how) and seems to do a bit of wandering between the new place and the old. I have a feeling that she isn't being allowed to nest at the new place, so I think I'm going to have to build both she and Ted some big nesting areas. Another project for next week!



Here is what the old goat fenced area looks like. Mickey started helping me expand it last weekend when he was here, but we didn't finish it due to rain. It was ok as we made icecream and played Sequence all afternoon with the guys. It was an awesome day! I'll take some pictures of the finished fence area next week.