We played outside today! Really played! We completely forgot "quiet time" but that didn't matter...sunshine, fresh air, and real outside-ness. It was a sunny and warm 40 F, which seems like a miracle after this particular winter. There is still lots of snow out there, mind you. James giggled and squealed as he stomped in ankle-deep puddles of muddy slush. I envy these kids' reckless abandon sometimes...how they can get an idea, try it out, and thoroughly enjoy the moment. Robert worked with me hacking at the 6-inch-deep ice flow at the foot of our driveway. We managed only to turn it from a slippery ramp into a slippery speed bump...oops, oh well.
A few muddy floors and ice-soaked changes of clothing later, we were all comfy in the house again. Can't wait to do it all again tomorrow.
Thursday, March 6, 2014
Tuesday, March 4, 2014
Garden/Farm plans this year
I probably write a "longing for the garden/outside" blog post about this time every year. March does that to me. I think about what I want to grow and where, I order a few new seeds, I plan the next big infrastructure project, and then I get planting some seeds indoors under the grow lights.
Well, I'm longing for spring again.
It doesn't hurt that our chicks are now awkward looking "tweens" with scruffy juvenile feathers and puffy baby feathers all askew. The 3-ft tall enclosure keeps them in, but for how much longer? They're hopping and leaping all over the place. One chick flew from the floor to within 4 inches of the top this morning. We all want to get them OUTSIDE as soon as possible.
Here's a peek at what has me so darn excited this growing season (new projects highlighted red):
1) The bramble bed is all new. I'll have 2 varieties of thornless blackberries and 1 variety of red raspberry there. Drip irrigation, living mulch, companion plantings to deter insect pests. I still need to design and install the trellis system...soon. Gotta do that soon. The canes won't really *need* it until this summer, I think, but I'm hesitant to use concrete...never done it before...it's kinda permanent...erk. Maybe I'll steal my dad for a couple days (You guys still thinking of coming out in June?)
2) The grapevine on the fence is adopted from my neighbors. They gave me permission to prune it this year, though it might surprise them how much I'll have to cut back. It's going to be a rough first year. Hopefully worth it in the end. I'm using this experience to decide whether I want a few grapevines of my own...***I have dreams of summer picnics on the back patio under a shady grape arbor***
3) Screened garden bed. My experiment with growing curcurbits and squash under the row cover last year was VERY informative. The fabric was less than ideal, though, since it was easy to forget anything was growing under there (out of sight, out of mind). This year, the entire bed will be tented with black window screening. Everything but the tiniest of insects will be blocked out. Mwah ha ha haaaaa! The window screening will also allow for better ventilation than the fabric (I had powdery mildew issues last year) and I will actually get to watch my plants grow! I'm fortunate enough to have found parthenocarpic varieties of cucumber and zucchini. Huzzah! The baby watermelons will need some hand pollination, but that's TOTALLY worth it. And I'll have spring/fall brassicas in there too (broccoli, kale, leaf cabbage).
4) Shady edibles bed. This patch of soil gets little to no direct light every day. We have a scraggly patch of hostas at the end, but I'm looking for more (always more). One of my life goals is to grow sweet lettuce reliably. Partial sun, close to rain barrels for frequent watering...I think this patch of dirt is my best bet. It's an interesting place for rhubarb and asparagus, too, since most of its sunlight comes in the spring before the trees leaf out. This is the *least* developed project of the lot. I just want to throw something in there and see what happens.
And here are the chicks in all their awkward beauty:
Their original names have all but disappeared since the juvenile feathers have come in. The only one I can pick out anymore is "Banana" because her head is still mostly blond baby fuzz. They hang out all 5 together or in 2 smaller groups. I can't tell if it's the same pair of chicks splitting off or not. Admittedly, I haven't spent much time watching them. Every time I'm in that bathroom with the chicks, James climbs up the toilet, onto the counter, and into the sink. He's learned to turn the water off and on by himself, too. It brings him giddy joy. Alice and Robert went through this phase, too, and it's still one of my favorites :)
Having Robert share the fun only sweetens the pot.
Well, I'm longing for spring again.
It doesn't hurt that our chicks are now awkward looking "tweens" with scruffy juvenile feathers and puffy baby feathers all askew. The 3-ft tall enclosure keeps them in, but for how much longer? They're hopping and leaping all over the place. One chick flew from the floor to within 4 inches of the top this morning. We all want to get them OUTSIDE as soon as possible.
Here's a peek at what has me so darn excited this growing season (new projects highlighted red):
1) The bramble bed is all new. I'll have 2 varieties of thornless blackberries and 1 variety of red raspberry there. Drip irrigation, living mulch, companion plantings to deter insect pests. I still need to design and install the trellis system...soon. Gotta do that soon. The canes won't really *need* it until this summer, I think, but I'm hesitant to use concrete...never done it before...it's kinda permanent...erk. Maybe I'll steal my dad for a couple days (You guys still thinking of coming out in June?)
2) The grapevine on the fence is adopted from my neighbors. They gave me permission to prune it this year, though it might surprise them how much I'll have to cut back. It's going to be a rough first year. Hopefully worth it in the end. I'm using this experience to decide whether I want a few grapevines of my own...***I have dreams of summer picnics on the back patio under a shady grape arbor***
3) Screened garden bed. My experiment with growing curcurbits and squash under the row cover last year was VERY informative. The fabric was less than ideal, though, since it was easy to forget anything was growing under there (out of sight, out of mind). This year, the entire bed will be tented with black window screening. Everything but the tiniest of insects will be blocked out. Mwah ha ha haaaaa! The window screening will also allow for better ventilation than the fabric (I had powdery mildew issues last year) and I will actually get to watch my plants grow! I'm fortunate enough to have found parthenocarpic varieties of cucumber and zucchini. Huzzah! The baby watermelons will need some hand pollination, but that's TOTALLY worth it. And I'll have spring/fall brassicas in there too (broccoli, kale, leaf cabbage).
4) Shady edibles bed. This patch of soil gets little to no direct light every day. We have a scraggly patch of hostas at the end, but I'm looking for more (always more). One of my life goals is to grow sweet lettuce reliably. Partial sun, close to rain barrels for frequent watering...I think this patch of dirt is my best bet. It's an interesting place for rhubarb and asparagus, too, since most of its sunlight comes in the spring before the trees leaf out. This is the *least* developed project of the lot. I just want to throw something in there and see what happens.
And here are the chicks in all their awkward beauty:
Their original names have all but disappeared since the juvenile feathers have come in. The only one I can pick out anymore is "Banana" because her head is still mostly blond baby fuzz. They hang out all 5 together or in 2 smaller groups. I can't tell if it's the same pair of chicks splitting off or not. Admittedly, I haven't spent much time watching them. Every time I'm in that bathroom with the chicks, James climbs up the toilet, onto the counter, and into the sink. He's learned to turn the water off and on by himself, too. It brings him giddy joy. Alice and Robert went through this phase, too, and it's still one of my favorites :)
Having Robert share the fun only sweetens the pot.
Sunday, March 2, 2014
Vinaigrette
I've been going through my newest favorite cookbook, recipe by recipe. Last week, I tried out 6 new recipes and 3 of them involved some sort of homemade vinaigrette. It wasn't on purpose. I didn't even realize it until the third night when I'm like, "What?! Another vinaigrette? Seriously?" I thought I liked vinaigrette alright. It turns out I don't. Not in the amount that my recipe book portions it out, anyway. Tonight, I mixed my "celery and apple salad" half-and-half with an undressed green lettuce salad, and it was great!
Good to work that out, I guess. Now to explore my relationship with feta cheese :)
Good to work that out, I guess. Now to explore my relationship with feta cheese :)
Saturday, March 1, 2014
Silly Consternation
The other day, I'm looking through some papers and James comes over
to play. He pulls one of the papers out of my hands and I say in a
silly/grumpy way, "Hey! That's my paper!"
(Yes, this is all my fault.)
He gets a huge smile on his face and starts to giggle. He gives the paper back and does it again for my overdramatic reaction. I give it willingly because his laugh is just so darn cute. We play this way for a couple minutes and then we move on with our day.
Hours later, James hands me a piece of mail. And just as I'm saying, "Oh, thank you James, that's so nice---" he rips it out of my hand and smiles at me with wicked anticipation. I was a little shocked until I remembered the paper game from earlier. Then I gave the silly/grumpy response he was looking for and we played again.
How does James play? He plays by getting reactions out of people. Sure, he'll roll a truck around now and then, but most of his play and fun comes from derivatives of this game of "silly consternation." It's a very social/outward kind of game, played in that gray area between acceptable and unacceptable behavior. He acts, the other player reacts with exaggerated emotion and retaliates with a chase/grab wrestle.
Alice shied away from these games. Robert would just attack you if he wanted to wrestle. James likes the back and forth.
Yet another reminder that James is his own person, not a mixed salad of all my other child-rearing experiences. Dang. That makes it harder.
(Yes, this is all my fault.)
He gets a huge smile on his face and starts to giggle. He gives the paper back and does it again for my overdramatic reaction. I give it willingly because his laugh is just so darn cute. We play this way for a couple minutes and then we move on with our day.
Hours later, James hands me a piece of mail. And just as I'm saying, "Oh, thank you James, that's so nice---" he rips it out of my hand and smiles at me with wicked anticipation. I was a little shocked until I remembered the paper game from earlier. Then I gave the silly/grumpy response he was looking for and we played again.
How does James play? He plays by getting reactions out of people. Sure, he'll roll a truck around now and then, but most of his play and fun comes from derivatives of this game of "silly consternation." It's a very social/outward kind of game, played in that gray area between acceptable and unacceptable behavior. He acts, the other player reacts with exaggerated emotion and retaliates with a chase/grab wrestle.
Alice shied away from these games. Robert would just attack you if he wanted to wrestle. James likes the back and forth.
Yet another reminder that James is his own person, not a mixed salad of all my other child-rearing experiences. Dang. That makes it harder.
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