Monday, April 3, 2017

April

Looking for Spring

Warmer days mean I need to start watering the hoop house (the unheated house that has spinach and lettuce growing in it).  The tricky thing is, I can barely find the well head beneath all the snow!  


Simon LOVES winter.  Except for the new smells that come out in the melting snow, he would rather we have snow year round.  (This year it seems like he's getting his wish!)  He also loves to go on hikes and skis.  And now his buddy Chicken likes to go with us too!


While I was in Peru, Chicken followed Zach out into the woods.  At first we were concerned, I mean he is duck and his 3" legs can only take him so fast.  But we soon realized he can hold his own.  He flies on the straightaways and zips along on top of the snow.  If the snow is soft and he sinks, he scoots through the snow on his belly like a penguin.  I posted a short video on Facebook, but I still can't capture the hilarity of it.  And I can not capture the sound of his webbed feet "pat, pat, pat" in the snow, it's really cute.  


It's sugaring season as well, so Simon and I (we leave Chicken at home), head up the road to help our friends collect sap.  It's a good physical workout to prep us for the upcoming season (me lifting 5 gallon pals of sap and Simon racing through the woods with his best friend Bear).  This is the 10th year I've helped in this sugarbush and I know Mitch's woods like my own.  Although I don't drive the horses, I have become pretty comfortable around Dick and Doc.  I'm still partial to my tractor, but I'll admit the quiet of the horses in the woods and the smell of animal sweat verses diesel in the cool spring air is pretty nice and I look forward to it every season.


We've been busy here on the farm too.  The 30,000+ onion seeds are seeded along with some lettuce, chard and lots of Brassicas.  This week I will start peppers and celery.  The seeds have taken longer than usual to germinate since we are only getting sun just about every other day.  The greenhouse is heated at night, but the little plants still need sun for energy!  
  

Simon would rather be in the woods than in the greenhouse, and he still does not fully understand why I work so much rather than just play all day.  If only I could teach him to transplant seedlings.... 


The Farmer's Table:
Rendered Tallow for the best chicken nuggets and french fries
Beef Liver Pate (with bacon!)
Carrot and Red Cabbage Cole Slaw
Celeriac Soup

Blessings on the Meal!