Gathering

Lori Ann called Melanie a few weeks back with some Gardening Questions. She and Pat are new to the area. Lori Ann had lots of questions. We could have talked on and on.

Her questions inspired Melanie to suggest that we 3 C's have a gathering of Gardeners at the Farm in this early season. 1st and foremost, we will look at Lori Ann's questions since she was the inspiration. From there, we will head out into others' sharing of questions, news and happenings, successes and challenges.

The gathering is Sunday afternoon at 1:30 p.m. for a couple of hours right here at the Farm. Most of the Folks are gardening Organically, interested in Heirlooms, concerned about Sustainability, desiring to live Simply. I don't know if any of us would call ourselves "Experts" but we are all "Seekers".

Thinking about who is coming makes me smile. I can imagine that the Earth smiles too.

Original Town of Kirksville

I keep pouring over E.M. Violette's History of Adair County (Journal Printing Company, Kirksville, Missouri, 1911). My eyes are drawn to the description of the original town of Kirksville:

The original town of forty acres as the surveyors laid it out, was bounded on the north by what is now Missouri Street, on the west by High Street, on the south by McPherson Street, and on the west by Main Street (page 346).

Pretzels

March 1:

Melanie made Pretzels today. Yum.

Egg Production Down

Egg Production has been down the last few days. We actually got 11 Eggs today, which is more than we have gotten for several days.

Melanie says that she has been using the "light" in the Hen house inconsistently. She thinks the Hennies may be confused. A lot of times, the light was left on because it kept the water from freezing. But who would want to sleep all night long with the light on? We sure don't. When the light is left on, the Hennies are sometimes harassed by the Young Rooster. Freddie, the older Roo, doesn't do too much harassing anymore.

Next year she may actually not turn on the light.

Seedling Update

February 27:

Early this Morning, it dawned on me that I had forgotten to water in the new Little Cabbages after I transplanted them yesterday. I had made sure that the Soil was moistened before transplanting. The lack of adequate Water would surely diminish their vitality.

The 1st thing I did this morning was to get up and visit the Little Cabbages. I still have 144 and they look just as happy as can be.

You will see 3 Flats in the above Photo. The 1st and 3rd Flats are Wooden Boxes which is where I start the Seedlings. Please notice those Jubilant Petunias in the 1st Wooden Box. They may be tiny but they are pretty excited about their upcoming times in the Sun. I am too. I can just imagine the conversations those Petunias surely are having.

The 2nd Flat is temporary home to 72 of the 144 Cabbages. They will outgrow this space soon. The 3rd Flat was the starter Bed for the Cabbages and for Coleus, which as of now is Wee Small. Soon, more Seeds will be in this Flat.

Nature Notes

We have seen an increase in Red Tailed Hawks as they are moving Northward. Red Winged Black Birds are back. Bird sounds are increasing; it is that exuberant Spring Chatter where everyone seems to be talking at once.

Cardinals are on territory. They give their characteristic Spring Call which Melanie termed the "car alarm" sound. Chickadees and Titmice continue to sing out their Spring Calls. While we have had Bluebirds all Winter off and on, Bluebirds arrived today and are beginning to set up territory.

The deep Snow is slowly beginning to melt. Considering the Volume, Slow is good. That Snow had turned hard, making it difficult to walk on. The higher temperatures have created a "softening".

Richard noted that the tire tracks Runner had made on the Drive to the Lane are beginning to get down to the ground. In spots, he saw Grass which means we may have recreated our Driveway a bit.

Some bare spots where the Lawn or Soil show through are beginning to show up in the yard, especially around the Feeders and Trees. A spot of the Compost Heap is now visible. We Humans are going to need some of that as soon as it dries out. We do have some inside which is waiting in cue for the Transplants. We will need more.

According to WeatherUnderground, the Length Of Visible Light today is 12 hours and 12 minutes. Length of Day is 11 Hours and 18 Minutes. Tomorrow will be 2 Minutes and 36 Seconds longer. That Sun continues to march Northward on the Horizon as it rises and sets. It is creating a different pattern in the House and it is much stronger.

I checked back in my Journals. On Winter Solstice (December 21), Light was 10 Hours and 19 Minutes. Length of Day was 9 Hours and 18 Minutes. We are at the season where the Light changes almost perceptibly every day in that beautiful March toward Spring.

I have a feeling that underneath the Snow, the Earth is just as eager to donn Spring Greenery as we are to see it. I think that when the Snow thaws, we will see a radiant Green in full glory. I keep looking.

Heirloom Seed (Poultry) Catalog

Sand Hill Preservation Center,
Calamus, Iowa 52729,
www.sandhillpreservation.com
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Sand Hill offers Heirloom Seeds and Poultry. We have not ordered from them before and have just now received their catalog. I like the "look and feel". I like the fact that they are reasonably "local" . For Sweet Potatoes, they seem to have very useful information about planting.

We have ordered almost all of our Seeds already, but there are a few which we have yet to acquire. I plan to order Lentils and Sweet Potato Slips. When reviewing Seed Catalogs, we usually do not find Lentils. The Sweet Potatoes are to supplement the 1 variety that we have.

I love finding new sources, especially when they seem, from the start, like Old Friends.