Monday, May 20, 2019

Playing in the Dirt

I have found my happy place! 

Inside this greenhouse! I  was surprised how warm and humid it is when I went inside....relax your muscles kind of heat! I must get a thermometer. I am convinced a hot tub in a little house like this would be heaven. Many of you remember I was promised a hot tub and sauna if I moved to Alaska.....Just sayin.....With a bit of work a set up like this could count as both.   It would be wonderful to put a pool, or chair, in a spot like this. πŸ˜…

Michael started building beds for the green house Friday. Alex tilled it. Michael planned to add to the beds, but has  hurt his back. He's still down for day 2 with ice.  Nolan came home from work and asked what project he could help with.  Alex has been working with Michael a lot since we moved here and was confident cutting the wood and putting the beds together.  He and Nolan took care of that....

Stacia and I worked on raking the dead grass out of the yard. It didn't take long to realize this was going to be a horrendous job with a yard this size. I have egg and "project" money set aside. I came in and told Michael I thought a thatcher for the back of our lawn tractor would be a good investment. Cory's folks de-thatch a few times at the start of each year and it breaks up the dead stuff and it blows away.  I don't see myself in my 80's out there raking acres of dead grass. πŸ˜• It's an investment in our "real retirement," which you will know has begun when we reach Social Security age.

 I am smiling-the-silly-grin-excited to have some of the seedlings out of my kitchen  and into dirt. 


I gave everything at least twice the space shown on the square foot gardening chart. It still looks crowded...but I have 7 watermelon and 3 tomato plants that aren't planted....I don't mind having extra as everything died last year the first time I planted. I have back ups if that happens this year. Michael suggested I would need another, bigger greenhouse when he gave me this one last year. I think he may be right. It look didn't take it long to fill up. 
Cucumbers, peppers and tomatoes across the back 

This is the watermelon side
Michael was going to build me a shelf too. I'm not sure what I could grow up there....I have melons and cantaloupes with nowhere to go - but I don't see either on a shelf. Maybe we won't do a shelf until I can figure out what to grow up there. Herbs in planters.... What would you put on shelves?

Ah - a rattler (quake not snake).

I LOVE all this sun!!!!!

Note - I know it's not June and I take a risk planting. I had a sourdough (old time Alaskan resident) tell me to plant when the birch leaves are the size of squirrel's ears.  Sounds good to me.