Thursday, May 26, 2022

A Great Thursday

 Allie and I have been having a weekly Bible study at 0900. We made plans to sneak out at 0715 today. The thought was this would begin easing Allie into her earlier work routine...and get us home earlier which would help with Michael's routine. He'd be able to tackle a project, rather than wait inside for us to get home.  This will be our last Thursday morning study - we're looking for a new time now that her mornings will be filled with employment. 

GG changed our plans by waking up at 0400 and insisting on breakfast. We begin to think he wakes up early if he knows I am going to be out in the morning to ensure I fix him breakfast rather than Michael. Michael fixes him oatmeal. With me his standard breakfast is fried potatoes, 2 eggs, 2 pieces of toast, bacon, fruit and COFFEE. ::snort:: We are going to check out our theory. GG was sleepy and went back to sleep which allowed Michael to get a few things done, it all works. LOL 

In any event, Allie needs a few things as she begins her new job. We decided a trip to Wasilla was in order and Michael agreed a good time to do it was after breakfast/study as we were already out. Allie drove to Wasilla - and around Wasilla! Woot! 

Stacia and I were eager to spend our hour together in the garden. Allie got GG lunch and stayed inside with him.  She sliced up a watermelon and made fruit salad for us to take to Lifegroup this evening. I think she also swept the upstairs. 

Our goal today was to get these two beds ready for the renovated hoop house to be moved over them. This will give me extra space for warmer weather crops.  The bed on the right was our lasagna bed over the fall/winter. When the greenhouse arrived Alex had taken apart the old compost bed and piled it all in this bed. It was three times that high...we began spreading the compost in that bed amongst the other beds. The goal is to take it down to about 1/2 and then fill it the rest of the way with the topsoil/compost we purchased last year. 


After filling the bed on the left to 1/2 way....we took the plastic off the next bed. Putting black plastic over the beds last fall has paid off huge now. The beds are usually as full of weeds as the space around the beds. 

We weeded and then noted fine roots running through this bed....I suspect chickweed. I decided the best bet was to lay newsprint down from our handy dandy end of newsprint roll from a local paper.  We layered interlocking strips of paper over the bed and watered it.  Then we topped it with the compost from the bed in the first picture. 

 

We repeated this process in five beds. The hour was up and Stacia was ready to be done. I spent another 30 minutes pulling weeds, watering and such. My goal is to have all the beds planted by the end of Memorial Day.  We may make it. 

One new thing this year is LIFE. The first year NOTHING grew in our garden. The last three years we have worked with the soil, built beds etc...and this year our fifth garden year here...I am excited to see life in the garden...caterpillars, spiders...not sure it's good life but it's life. I thought caterpillars were bad news and then googled and they said they become butterflies which help pollinate plants. What do you think? Move the critters or let them thrive in the garden? 


Five beds - weeded, weed barrier, watered, filled with compost. Ready to add more topsoil/older compost tomorrow. 


The chickens love a treat of watermelon. We bought a LOT of watermelon from co-op on Tuesday. The co-op purchased a bin. I believe I got 50 - 60 lbs of melons.  We are LOVING it. 

Wait...he is heading away from the garden with my new garden bed! Yes, it didn't take long for others to weigh in with their thoughts on how to use the new bed. We talked, compromised and I think it will work.  The chicks are load, boisterous and stinky. I want them out of the kitchen.  They aren't full feathered yet and we can't move them to the chicken yard.  This will make a nice home for them for a couple of weeks in the garage. When they are done with the home, we'll move it to the garden plot. 


My sadness at not having the bed in the garden is tempered by having the chicks OUT of the house. 

We had just enough time for Michael and I to shower and leave for Lifegroup.  Oh! Allie drove us to Lifegroup with Michael in the car. 

It was a great day....one on one time with both girls...at breakfast/study and in the garden, progress on projects, and friends in the evening.