First post in a week

Ok the ridiculous rains last week put everything pertaining to planting or deer fence building on hold for a couple of days.  The acquisition of the new tractor and the Green Acres school at Mountainside for 4 days last week (yes they were there in the rain) meant that there has not been a lot to talk about that was farm related.  I gotta give props to those 6th graders who slogged thru mud and endured days that most people would never have chosen to "stick it out".  The truth of the matter is that the rains made their stay much more memorable and Thursday and Friday were gorgeous.  Best news is that they had so much fun and they told me that Echo Hill was lame compared to us.  Holla!

Josh got the final fence posts in the ground today and we went an purchased some transplants as well as marigolds and gardenias for the circle in front of the new house from a local nursery.   Next year all of those transplants and flowers will be germinated on site but to get things started this spring we had to resort to a mercenary grower.  I feel a little embarrassed and feeble having to outsource our seedlings but the majority of what we will grow this year will come from the seeds that we ordered and will be planting this week.  I put over 250 little flowers in the ground this afternoon with a small planting shovel and my back will likely not forgive me for a day or two.  You know...this planting thing and pruning thing and weeding thing and watering thing and harvesting thing may be tougher than I thought.  For sure I am going to have to invest in some knee pads.

Tomorrow the majority of the plastic goes down and we will have some volunteer planters from our after school programs out to help on Thursday.  Gosh I hope the kids like getting their hands dirty.  Last thought.  Do farmers wives like back scratches with hands that feel like sandpaper and look dirty even after you have washed them 4 times?  So far Nancy does not seem to mind.

  Our calm steam was not so calm last week.