In The Greenhouse

This weekend I was becoming very hopeful about planting in the fields soon. The raised beds have almost dried out to a point where they are plantable and some small shoots of garlic are emerging! Exciting.  

This meant it was time to fix fence, my least favorite job on the farm. I’ll take pig wrestling, mucking out a stall, splitting wood, nearly anything instead of fixing fence. It took a full day with thankful help that ½ of the fence is now mended and ready. My hands are so sore from tightening the wires. I'll pick away at it the rest of this week. 

This of course was just in time for today’s snowfall. Goodness gracious. This Spring is crazy! Monday’s are usually administrative days for me but I found myself in the greenhouse quite often. I think I just needed to see a little bit of green. I was elated to see new shoots had emerged of watercress, onion, celery and cucumbers.

Here are green onions, Mizuna and Tatsoi. I tried some of the Mizuna yesterday. Yum, yum, yum.

Spring is coming. Thankfully it has arrived in the greenhouse.

And They Are Out!!!

The sun came out today furthering the immense snow melt. Its amazing how much has depleted just in the past few days. This winter has been a long one for all of us including the chickens who have either been smart or too "chicken" to come out of the barn. Each day I always open the barn door for them to enjoy the sunshine but this afternoon was the first time I saw more than one venture out. Here is a picture of some of them enjoying a nice dust bath.

Must be Spring!

A Little Visitor in the Greenhouse

This morning I went to check the greenhouse before heading to drop the boys off at school when I realised there was a visitor. A little sparrow had somehow managed to get inside. Maybe it came in through the opening for the drain I have for the pond overflow? Not sure. There I was wondering how on earth I was going to get this bird out without freezing the entire greenhouse. It was -3 outside and the greenhouse was +4 and completely snow covered from the night before. Meaning, it wasn't about to reheat very quickly until swept off. I gave it my best effort but had to run saying good luck and not to eat my seedlings!

Later when I came back I grabbed some bird seed and placed it on a board hoping the bird would go for the seed not the seedlings. Then I swept off the greenhouse. It is becoming quite treacherous to do so with how unstable the snow pack is. Thankfully I managed to stay on my feet and not have any sudden collapses underneath me. 

As expected the inside temperature started rising immediately so I felt good about leaving a door open halfway as I tried to get the little sucker out of there. After 3 swooping glides back and forth the length of the building it was out! 

Wish I had been able to get a pic but it wouldn't stay still long enough. 

The little birds and all other wildlife are having a hard time with the extended winter. Please remember to help keep them warm by providing some seed. Sunflower seeds and millet are the most widely eaten seed. Also it may sound icky but if you have a fatty meat for dinner one night place the excess fat in a mesh bag (I use an onion bag) and hang it up in a shaded area by your bird feeder. The Blue Jays go nuts over it.