February wrap up


garden prepI could complain about the weather.  I could complain about the cold, the wind, the drought, yada yada, but that would be boring so I won’t.  Let’s just say Joyce and I survived February and the befuddling flu, although the effects of the later still linger.  Some weeks I wasn’t able to work outside more than a day or two because of the cold.  Last week I was outside Monday through Thursday, but Thursday was March 1 so I guess that still counts as only three days for Feb.

Mostly I’ve concentrated on getting the garden prepped for planting, which I was able to do.  Joyce isn’t keen to get started on the garden but it will be ready when those balmy April days come and she gets the urge.  We have wanted to transplant one of the blackberries from the enclosure to the south side of the shop where it will be easier to water and I finally got that done, plus I turned the compost and replaced the container I burned up in January with the spare one.

I was also able to run traveling sprinklers around the perimeter on three sides to water the trees.  I don’t want a repeat of the 2011 drought to whack any more trees and this drought we are in is starting out just like 2011.  I use the irrigation ditch along the west side to water those trees.

Since we are getting out of the chicken business (there are three hens and the guinea left), I’m going to remove the chicken wire around the garden.  That will give us access from both ends and reduce the maintenance when mowing is required.  I have other ambitions relating to the grapevines and the wire that supports the new growth.  I’m not going to let them grow as tall since that makes for more work trimming them.  It will be interesting to see how that affects the grape crop.  I’ve got a carboy of wine from 2016 aging so I won’t need to make wine this fall.  A carboy equals 25 bottles.  A glass of wine a week equals a bottle a month so that’s a two year supply and I already have about that many bottles from previous vintages.  We’ll make popsicles with what the birds don’t eat.

Just in the last few days a couple of fruit trees, a peach south of the shop and an apricot in the meadow. have started blooming and leafing out.  Actually, that’s not quite right.  It’s the apricot that just started blooming.  The peach started blooming and leafing week before last in time for several nights of temperatures in the teens.  It seems to have shrugged that off, though, so maybe it will be OK.

Kari completed her three weeks in Nicaragua and Chris made a trip to Switzerland to see his folks.  Abigail plays club volleyball and has had several tournaments so far this year.  Rebecca is taking tennis lessons again and bounces on the trampoline, weather permitting.  I’m not sure what is going on with the Wylies other than they are very busy.  They will be visiting next week so I can get the lowdown directly from the horses’ mouths.