Weather

Our peas really want (and need) to go outside. The impatient monsters are now approaching 6" tall, and they are pushing at the top of our already-raised-up greenhouse. Too much longer, and they'll start tangling each other with their little gripper vines.

But it's not supposed to get above 50 degrees until Tuesday.

Now, peas are little hardy suckers, but this has me perplexed. I want to put them outside. I think (based upon my limited internet research) that the frost/snow is more of a danger to flowers and peas, both of which aren't present yet... Hm. Here's hoping.

So this weekend, if there is a rain-free (or almost rain-free) spell? Peas, ya be going in the ground.

In other planty news:

We have a couple of tomato seedlings. I'm surprised, as it's only been 5 days and normally this takes longer. But, the big surprise? I planted onions and leeks on Monday. And now? We have a ton of little happy seedlings.

This is my first time doing both from seed, and I find the action of spilling so many seeds into one small area very daunting. I hate thinning seedlings.

Deck planning

Besides working a lot, we're knee-deep in deck planning. The idea is to transform the bottom terrace in the backyard into 80% deck, 20% pavers (at the far end so we have a space to hose the hounds... though we might choose to make that happen in the side yard instead... see what I mean about planning?). It's a LONG space-- 60' long and 12ish feet deep.

As far as execution? The weather has not been kind. Snow, freezing rain, and regular rain. Oh, an hail. Not much snow, but you get the drift-- it hasn't been deck weather. Plus, maybe we should paint the house first (or at least the back side?).

I think a reasonable goal is for us to have a partial deck by July 4th.

Our poor kiwi plants though! They're growing like mad in our dining room and are rather grumpy at our lack of climbing space...

Peas!

Despite our busy busy schedules recently, we are still doing projects. I just need to post about them!

Today: Peas! I soaked them overnight and sprouted them by putting them in-between two layers of moist paper towels. And voila! SPROUTS! Bob planted them a few days ago. Results? 100% sprouts! Yup, 72 pea seedlings now live on our dining room table.

Soon, they'll go out front where we' hope we can convince them to grow over our rock walls (rather than up a trellis). We'll see how that goes.

Yes, that's a lot of peas... but they are early and so easy to do that it's worth it. I used only half of the $3.10 package and I had enough to give away (easily) this many sprouted beans to my neighbors too (I gave her the leftovers from the plate sprouting). So $0.75 for this many pea plants? Yes, might as well grow 72.

Well that was a semi-failure...

I had purchased a $10 Groupon for a voucher good for $50 at Picaboo. I love Picaboo photo books.

I had another one earlier this week for a higher amount, so I used that for my 2011 photobook. The only other time period of our marriage not yet photobooked was the last half of 2009.

I remembered that the photobook Groupon expired "end of Feb," So, I hopped to it... but tonight and last night, life intervened.

So tonight I get home at 9. I gobble some dinner. I start working on photobook. Stuff happens, it doesn't go as fast as I wanted to... but! I finish at 11:52.

I go to get the Groupon.

It's not there.

It's in my "expired coupons" category. It didn't expire "end of February," it expired on 2/28. Darn Leap Year!!!

The good news? I can always still use the $10 I initially paid toward the album. So, I'm not out any money with no product. AND, the photobook has been created, so now it's just a matter of ordering.

But yes, I am kicking myself. I'm just glad it wasn't my pricier voucher!

Love is old, love is new, love is all, love is you.

Bob to me:

"This is, quite possibly, the perfect day." He then listed out everything we did. Winter farmer's market. Watched snow (yes, really) fall outside. Drove around. Bought tea. He cooked. I worked on an album.

Me: "And sat on the couch next to me, right?"

Bob: "Of course. I get lonely when you're not here."

Spats and Pantaloons

My chicks have spats and pantaloons.


I also refer to the ridiculous, huge, upper thigh feathers as "racing stripes."


I mean, truly, we're talking some SERIOUS cuteness here.


Though, I must admit that my husband thinks I'm a tad nuts. But really-- How could you not appreciate this ridiculousness?!

Things are a-changing.

Fabulous news: I have a new job (and still,kind of, the old one). So, things will be a bit crazy around here for the next couple weeks. I'm insanely excited... though tired right now. The excitement has made it a bit difficult to sleep, but I'm getting by, no worries.

We have a slew of projects planned, outside projects especially. As the days get longer, we'll be able to work on some after work sometimes, so hang on, we'll get cracking.

Sad Cat

** UPDATE:
Paddington has been a total velcro cat the rest of today. Starting about two hours after this post and photo were done/taken, he clearly began to feel better. Smart cat that he is, he must have associated it with me messing with his eye, because he was a complete purr-bucket, followed me from room to room, and was even ankle-rubbing when I stood still for more than five seconds. I've had to since reapply the meds, but I was really happy to see the poor guy feeling better. What a grateful little tyke!

*******

Someone's eye problem is flaring up again. I had to put this neosporin-like goo in his eye this morning. Paddington is a bit sad right now.

My poor guy.

Cochin chicks

Finally, photos of the Cochin chicks!

Look at those leg and feet feathers!

This one is a sassy chick:



I call this photo "Rock Chick Album Cover":







The blackish ones will be either black, spotted or birchin-colored (probably birchin), and the brown ones will be partridge . Aren't they CUTE!?!?

Now let's hope they are all girls.

One set of stairs: Done!

Bob and I decided to put strawberries on this slope in-between the garden beds and the raspberry beds. The problem? If we planted strawberries ALL over, how would we get to the ones in the middle? The top ones would be challenging too, since you'd have to lean over the edge of the slope to get them.


Solution: Put stairs from the raspberry beds up to the garden boxes, preferably having the stairs end at the top between two garden beds! Not only will this give us another way from the garden bed tier down, but it would make it very easy to pick strawberries. AND, we can more easily have strawberries growing through a medium like landscape fabric since the area is more contained. I'm not a huge fan of the fabric, but on a hillside with strawberries? I can be convinced. We'll plant the plants through decent holes in the fabric, tacking the fabric down at the edges of the staircases, and mounding up the area in-between (under the fabric). We'll then mulch over the fabric so you see the mulch and the strawberries, but not the fabric.

Our theory is that if the strawberries aren't putting energy into runners and aren't competing with weeds and have great dirt, then they'll put out some nice, juicy strawberries and become very large, nice plants. We've looked at successful growing operations and this seems to be a method that nicely produces good yields.

So today, I built the first staircase. It's all level (which was important), though it does have a teeny curve in the very bottom. I'm not worried by this. It looks great and I'm happy. It's a big messy right now, but I keep chugging towards what I know it will look like in the end!

Staircase #1 from a distance:


Closer-up view:



View of the top. I had to dig out the stairs a bit on the top three stairs, but in return, I got a staircase that has nice, deep treads and very reasonable rises. YES. I'll likely dig out the area a bit more (so dirt doesn't fall on the stairs easily), but the fabric will help with the dirt containing a bit.



View from the top-down. The stairs end with plenty of walking space at the raspberry beds.


Gaps between beds where the next two staircases will go:


Better view of where the next staircase will go (on the left) and the new staircase (on the right):


Best part? The staircase cost under $15 to make. Woo! AND, it's starting to rain, so here's hoping the rain will wash clean my new stairs!