Rainy Days and Worms!

 Rainy days... puddles, mud, and worms!

It's been a while since I have seen worms after a rain.  And that leads us to the age-old question of why worms leave their earthly burrows during a rain storm.  For years, it was thought that they do this to avoid drowning.  However.... worms breathe through their skins and actually need moisture to fascilitate this function.  The latest theory is that rain causes a vibration in the earth similar to the vibration that is caused by moles.  So, now the thought is that they leave the earth to escape moles.

Personally, I think they just like to shower after being in so much dirt! 

Between the rain showers, I checked the garden and was elated to see lots of new growth.  All of this happened in the last two days...

radishes,

spinach,

and arugula!

I can hardly wait to begin harvesting my own veggies once again!

Look who visited the dry lot yesterday afternoon... my adventurous hens. 

 Who, by the way, have the habit of sleeping in the willow tree next to their yard, instead of in the henhouse.  It seems these two like living on the edge!  Speaking of on the edge...

This guy loves to walk the length of the fences... perfect balance.  Cats amaze me!

Because of the rain, much of my time was spent indoors yesterday.  I used the time to clean and re-organize both my upstairs pantry and the downstairs storage room. 

 It's definitely time to get canning again, as my shelves are getting bare.  However, I have enough hot pepper relish and hot pepper jam for perhaps the rest of my life... and it's super hot, so a little goes a long way!

The rain gave me time to work in my foraging journal... finishing the first page...

and working on the next...

We are to have another rainy day today.  It looks like I will be doing some more journaling.

To my local friends.... a favor.  I am in desperate need of egg cartons.  Because we take so many eggs to the local food pantry, we use up our cartons in no time.  I don't like to have to buy cartons that will only be used once, and prefer to recycle used cartons... so, if you could save for me your cartons, I will gladly come and pick them up... or you can come visit me on the farm!   Thanks (in advance!)