Spring is sprung.

While the weather is up and down, the flowers are coming up, grass is turning green and the trees are starting to bud out.  Horse people judge spring by one thing and that is if the horsehair is flying. And the horsehair is definitely flying here now! Fancy has dropped enough hair to make two minis I believe.

It was a beautiful weekend here. Saturday was quite a bit chillier with a high only in the 40s, but today was close to 70° and lovely. I spent both days mostly outside. Much of it working in the garden area prepping it for planting. I spent plenty of time working with the animals too. The Farrier was here to trim Fancy. With her foundering last fall, we’ve had to move her to a six week schedule so we will be seeing quite a bit more of each other.

As far as the garden goes, I did a little bit of everything in it. I repaired the raised beds that had boards pop off over the winter as well as cleaning up the walkways, putting down more cardboard, and of course, cleaning up the many sticks and branches the maple trees have dropped all winter. Lots of kindling there! I got spinach, lettuce, and peas into the beds. I’m late getting the peas planted, but I still think I should have a good crop before hot weather kicks in. Next weekend I’ll be planting potatoes and adding compost to a few of the beds.

Let’s talk food for a moment. Food, after housing, is one of the largest expenses many of us have. Food insecurity plagues a large part of the world’s population but there is something many of us can do to help. Plant something! Even if it’s only a planter of lettuce or spinach, maybe some herbs, on a balcony! You can grow tomatoes in buckets too. The more you can feed yourself and reduce the pain of inflation on your food dollars, the better off you’ll be.

It wasn’t that long ago that many household’s “grocery store” could be found in their garden, pasture, cellars and smoke houses. If you didn’t grow it or raise it, you didn’t eat it. There are downsides to that but positives too. Think how much better our diets, and our health, would be if we could return to that lifestyle! I’m trying to get there. I was gifted a cabinet smoker yesterday and I’m over the moon about it! Soon I’ll be smoking my own hams and bacon.

I also got some grass seed planted in the areas prepped by my soil aeration expert, a.k.a. Peppa Pig, today. I still have a lot of planting to go as I need to get the areas cleared off last summer seeded down. A lush pasture means happy goats and pigs and lots of bugs and seeds for chickens too. A pollinator patch is on the list to get planted as well. Got to keep those bees happy.

Did I mention the chickens yet? Out of 40 hens I’m getting 20-25 eggs a day! I’m thrilled with that as I know I have around 8 that aren’t laying or at least not regularly and need a date with the freezer soon. Here in March, I have sold 43 dozen eggs!

Well, this tired mind has rambled enough tonight. Until next time Stay positive, Stay busy, Stay focused on your goals!