Of Morels and Manure

With a beautiful Spring backdrop,
I squeezed as much out of a sunny yesterday as I could.


With several days of rain on the horizon,
I felt a certain urgency to get a lot of items checked off my Spring chore list.
Fasten your seatbelt,
here goes....


5:30 AM  up with puppy, dressed, breakfast.
6:00 AM out for morning chores (i.e. feed, water animals and clean their houses)
8:00 Chimney sweep came
Baked a batch of double chocolate/walnut cookies
Took many weeks worth of recycling to recycling center
Ran to the bank and grocery store
Afternoon chores
Loaded 2 big piles of compost in the manure spreader for Jim to spread.


Made dinner
Planted 2 flats of cabbages
planted 1 flat of broccoli
watered seedlings in greenhouse
Did bedtime feeding and tucked animals in for the night
(With several puppy play times interspersed throughout the day)

As for spreading manure...


as I dug each load of compost,
this group of hens that had been relaxing under this small pine tree


came running over to eat the abundant worms that had been unearthed by the tractor.


Worm after worm they gulped in one quick swallow.
This is one of the things that makes farm fresh free range eggs so good...
and full of healthy omega three fatty acid...
much healthier than the grocery store variety!


Naturally, whenever anything interesting is happening around the farm,
the turkeys are there to supervise.

Sam, on the other hand, took the opportunity to catch up on his naps.


Many thanks to Jim, my #1 farmhand, for helping me spread manure!
Don't you just love that old tractor?
It's our 1953  Ford  Jubilee tractor... restored by Jim to its original paint colors.
She's a beauty!
(You might not know this about me...but old tractors make me swoon!)


I made a discovery yesterday on my many trips back and forth through the orchard.
Our old (magical) craggy apple tree (that no longer bears fruit)...


is once again home to a Spring crop of morel mushrooms.
The first one has just emerged...


I am betting after this week's rains there will be several more.


Once they have all matured, they will become part of our annual spring omelet...
served at Sunday Farm Breakfast.
Fresh asparagus, morels, chives and homemade cheese will go into this
once-a-year omelet.

Comments

daisy g said…
I feel the same way about old tractors. In fact, we visit an antique tractor club's events several times a year. That omelet sounds scrumptious!
colleen said…
Good Morning. Love to hear about your eventful day. I'm just trying to imagine just how wonderful that omelet would taste. Are you getting any knitting in these days?
Bee Haven Bev said…
Absolutely yes, Colleen....when the sun goes down the knitting needles come out! I will finish my second summer scarf today....will post a picture tomorrow!
Country Gal said…
Looks and sounds like a busy yet perfect day ! I to love vintage tractors , trucks and farm equipment lol ! Lovely photos and post , It is raining here today . April showers bring May flowers .Thanks for sharing .have a good day !
Lynne said…
You are always an inspiration . . . and Once Again!
Carla said…
I grew up, poking around old trees every spring weekend as a child with my dad. Morels were the 'game' we were after. Unfortunately, they do not grow in my part of Texas. I'm jealous of your bounty!! :)
Please rinse one in salty water (kill those bugs), dry, dust with flour and then fry in butter for me. I can smell it now!
Unknown said…
You are simply awesome....I can't believe how much you pack into a day!!
jaz@octoberfarm said…
are you sure you haven't died and actually ended up in heaven? with everything else you have going on there and now a vintage tractor and morels??? if you check on ginger and maryann and notice another lump in the straw, it might be me!
Pam said…
How do you know if they are ok to eat? We have a few come up each year but have been too concerned to try them.
This N That said…
Sounds like another full and productive BHM day...Hope you're staying dry today and tomorrow will definitely be a wet one...Great pictures...XXOO
Bee Haven Bev said…
Here is a good article about finding morels. I have checked my resources and am sure that ours are true morels. We have always eaten them in the past...they grow at the base of an old dead apple tree.
http://www.fieldandstream.com/articles/hunting/2013/04/finding-cooking-morel-mushrooms
Unknown said…
We hunt morel mushrooms here in Kentucky. It is a once year treat!