We finally got real snow! Then a nasty bitter cold front came in and froze the ground. And now, it's rainy in the 40's and flooding because the ground is still frozen solid. I'll take it! I heard some birds singing this morning when I went to take care of the chickens. I have MISSED that sound. The chickens are still laying like gangbusters, even after I stopped supplementing them with light. Crazy genetics. And I planted a bunch of onion seeds indoors this week. They take forever to get to transplantable size.
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| James and Matthew are the only ones who play in the snow these days. |
When we returned from Texas with our trailer full of goodies, I got to work. I refurbished two of the bikes and donated them to a non-profit organization. Woo hoo! We pulled out all of the new-to-us-but-the-same-exact-stuff-I-used-as-a-kid-camping-with-my-family camping equipment, washed it, and checked its condition.
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| The Army-issue duffle bag still works, Dad! |
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| The inflatable mattresses have also withstood rigorous testing. |
We have added several useful items to our camping gear and hope to use them this summer.
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| Robert and James intentionally DON'T smile for family photos. Ugh. Will they still think it's cool/funny when they look at these pictures in 20 years? |
Alex got a really short haircut recently. When the temps plunged, he found himself getting really cold. He started wearing a snow hat in the house. Unfortunately, his first attempt made him look like an elf (sticky out ears) from prison (slouchy and tight fit all at once...it reminded me of those old black and white striped prison outfits with a stocking cap).
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| Felon Elf look. |
I'm eager for spring to return, but I have plenty to do these days.
Erin and I started up guitar lessons again. We're working through the Slow Jam Songbook and learning some new playing techniques. I like what we're learning! I don't like practicing when my family is around. Why? I dunno. I don't want their comments? Their interruptions? I can't focus? Feels like a little of everything. I get pretty self-conscious about it.
I've started learning Spanish again. Duolingo has been updated a lot since I last logged on and I like it much more! Will I ever be brave enough to actually speak Spanish to/with anyone else outside of my family? Hmmm.
My goal to refurbish 45 bikes by my birthday this year is still on track. The most recent bike was a bit of a disappointment, though. I worked on it for several hours, overhauling ALL of the bearing systems, cleaning and sourcing replacement parts, until I just couldn't get the rear wheel to align properly. It turns out the rear part of the frame is bent just enough to throw things out of whack. And, since it's an aluminum frame, it can't be corrected. The frame is garbage. Argh! So, I'm stripping it for parts and NOT counting it towards my 45 *grumble grumble* I will, however, be much more thorough in my evaluation of future bikes for refurbishing.
I looked through all of my seed stock and started planning out the growing season. We donated almost a ton of produce from the Meadowbrook Learning Garden last year. I'd love to do that again. I'm meeting with my co-managers later this week to select crops and varieties. My home garden will likely focus on peas, carrots, onions, strawberries, blueberries, green beans, tomatoes, and herbs. There will be okra, asparagus, and zucchini, too. And collard greens, cabbage, broccoli, radishes, beets, and baby romaine. And cucumbers. But that's it. Nothing too crazy. And leeks. I forgot about the leeks. And flowers, but those don't really count. Oh! And I have a few Egyptian Walking Onion bulbs to try out this year. Seriously, it's no big deal. I can totally quit whenever I want to.
So, I feel like I'm making progress on a bunch of fronts. I also feel like it's not sustainable. But hey, I'll enjoy it until I get there :)
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