Feeling Less Behind and Happy at Home

Whew, we've had a couple of really nice days (not always sunny, but if there's no rain, I label them nice) lately, and I've been able to get a lot done in the garden.

Rain was forecast for all day today, but when we got up and there was no evidence of moisture, I didn't even stop for breakfast but headed right out to the garden.  I did have to stop for lunch around 11:30 (much to my also hungry husband's delight) because I was so hungry I was starting to feel nauseated.  But then right back out again and all was well until 3 p.m. when the intermittent raindrops became more steady than intermittent, and I had to call it a day.

Our asparagus continues to be bountiful . . . and we're succeeding in eating all of it fresh.  I haven't frozen any at all yet, and you would think we'd be tired of it as it appears on our table at least once and sometimes twice a day.  But, nope, we're both still exclaiming how wonderful it tastes.  (Can you break out in hives from eating too much asparagus as some people do when eating too many strawberries?  If so, we're in trouble.)

I took the first cutting of rhubarb today.  Seems the stems shot up from 6" long to a foot long nearly overnight.  Soon as I finish with this post, I'm mixing up a favorite rhubarb cake recipe for tomorrow.

Another milestone today . . . Papa Pea decided it was time to integrate Mama Duck and her brood into the big poultry yard and pond.  I was nervous as to how the geese would react, but any fears turned out to be unwarranted.  The big, ol', clumsy geese exhibited a little curiosity which then quickly turned into boredom and by afternoon all the poultry was co-mingling without any problem.  Mama Duck continues to be a good mother and is keeping the little ones close.  They have all gone down to the pond several times and although Mama Duck goes right in, her offspring have (so far) stayed near the shore with short (very short) forays into the water.  You can almost hear them saying, "Wow, this is one BIG water pan!"

I'll try to get some pictures to post soon.

The chicks we ordered from the hatchery several weeks ago are still corralled in their chicken tractor with an additional small pen attached to it.  They'll be let in with the rest of the whole feathered flock probably sometime this coming week.

We're spending the Memorial Day Weekend at home which to my mind is not a bad thing.  I went into town yesterday and the traffic on the roads was heavy.  Cars and trucks and trailers and campers and boats, oh my.  Papa Pea never fails to reminisce about when we were still living in Illinois and decided to go to Mammoth Cave in Kentucky over a Memorial Day Weekend.  Coming home it was bumper to bumper the whole way home, and we didn't pull into our driveway until the wee hours of the morning.  Nope, we're not fighting traffic anymore in this phase of our lives.  We're happy, happy, happy celebrating most holidays right here at home.

Hope you're all having a lovely weekend in whatever way you choose to spend it!