Another Productive Day

   This morning the house was cold. Yesterday had been an usually long Sunday and I lacked the ambition to get a fire going in the wood stove. So I woke up this morning, made coffee, and  cranked up the wood stove. Once the wife and son were up we loaded in a supply of firewood and had breakfast.

   Then we set outside where the garden beds were waiting for us. They had been mulched, composted, and turned and all that was left was to put seeds in the ground. We've been patiently watching the weather forecast and putting off planting. Today was the day!

   The hops were way ahead of us...

    By the time we were done we had planted onions, broccoli, carrots, spinach, lettuce, peas, green beans, cucumbers, squash, radishes, cabbage, cilantro, dill, thyme, sage, and basil. We left space for the tomatoes and peppers that are still under the grow lamp inside.

   In the picture you can see last year's oregano still going strong in the foreground. Some of the herbs are in the pots under the tree. The CDs are hung up to deter the crows and other neighborhood birds. 



   Speaking of neighborhood birds, the chickens were also waiting for us this morning. Here they are scratching in the new grass just after being moved.

   We did a few more chores around the yard. While we were out the mail came and along with it...

   ...my new shoes! A few weeks back we were in REI and I tried on some Vibram Five Finger running and hiking shoes. They're supposed to be the next best thing to barefoot without having to worry about things like broken glass and whatnot. Because your legs and feet use different muscles on bare feet it is recommended to start slow. Because I am out of shape after an embarrassingly lethargic winter I was inclined to do just that. The wife and I went for a couple-mile walk while the son rode his bike.

   Before calling it a day we prepped some pinto beans for canning tomorrow.

   Tomorrow's going to be another big day!