Soggy, But Happy

 Good Morning!  I hope that wherever you are, Spring has arrived and color has sprung forth in your world.

True to form, April is turning out to be a drizzly month, so far.  It's a good thing - because the ground has been very dry these last few weeks.  With seedlings coming up in the vegetable garden, it's good to have a source of water (other than the hose.)

Thus far,  radishes, spinach, yellow onions, red onions, garlic, and scallions have emerged in the garden boxes.  Perennial herbs are beginning to emerge as well.

I planted a few Brussels sprouts plants and have them under bell jars as we are predicted to have some night temperatures dip below the freezing mark in the next two weeks.

Despite the rain, it's a glorious time of year filled with hope and anticipation.  The pastures are beginning to turn green and mowing will very quickly be added to our weekly To-Do lists.

In the next couple of weeks, I am going to try something new in the garden.  I came upon an idea on Instagram:  to use wire fencing (of which we have a bit) and large metal fence posts to fashion a cage for growing potatoes vertically in a mixture of compost and straw.  I'll let you know how it goes building the structure and then keep you up to date with the planting, growth, and harvesting.

The chickens and ducks are happily combing through the grass searching for worms and insects...

And in return, giving us eggs with the darkest orange yolks.

Our huge koi are once again active in the pond.

And Forrest has just discovered their presence... very interesting!

Every so often, I get hungry for a sweet treat.  This weekend I decided to make a lemon loaf.  (This is my favorite lemon loaf recipe). And because I have a hubby who truly loves nuts in his baked goods, I decided to alter the recipe and add 1 cup of frozen farm-raised blueberries, and a half cup of ground pistachios to the batter.  Then, on top of the lemon frosting, I sprinkled more chopped pistachios.  It's a great flavor combination!  And with blueberry season just around the corner, I need to use up as many blueberries as possible to free-up freezer space!