It's spring and time to plant seeds!

At last.... Andrew had time to help get the garden ready today!

Jacob and I dug out all the onions and garlic that we had somehow missed last fall (and that were nicely growing now) and put them in safe keeping to be replanted when the garden's ready.

Then, Mother came out and helped us clean off the old plants and burn them, and raked up some pine needles and added them to the fire, and then pruned the apple trees too while she was at it.

After lunch, Andrew and Jacob went outside and hooked up the big spreader, filled it up, and Andrew spread 2/3 of a load of composted manure on our garden spot...


"Don't get too close!"

Then, Andrew worked "It" in and loosened the soil with a vibra-shank (is that what it's called, brother?)

This is what most of our garden looks like now: (...and that's Andrew, giving me a funny look for some unknown reason...)
Andrew got the little tiller going too and worked up an area about 10 feet wide so I could start planting. I got a couple rows of onions, a couple rows of lettuce, and a bed of cucumbers planted before it got too cold and windy and wet to do anymore. What a good feeling it is to at least have a few seeds in the ground. :)

Another of my projects today was to set up the flower aquarium I got from my B. grandma when my grandparents were moving. I put cold water; 1 Tbsp. of white vinegar; and my carnation (all the staff got one yesterday at the nursing home) in the aquarium and then Mom helped me slip the rubber seal on (which is definitely a two person job I found out!) It will be interesting to see how long my flower will keep this way!

Below is a picture of my new dresser ornament (my "Other" aquarium), along with: my daily flip-calendar that I like to post quotes from; the music-dolls my grandparents gave me many years ago; a pretty tea-cup and saucer from a dear friend; a small oil-lamp (which is hiding); a plant I'm growing in water alone; a jar containing the flower potpourri my mom made with petals from the flowers from Grandma's funeral last April); the little houses my other grandparents gave me many years ago (replicas of Sarah--Plain and Tall's prairie home and her Maine home); and my collection of Dr. S. M. Davis cassette tapes. :)

Oh yes, one more thing I did this evening was to grind up some more grain for the chicks... We have a recipe for chick-feed in one of our animal-raising books, but were lacking the soybeans it called for, so tonight I substituted with field peas so they could get more protein in their diet.

My dad said one of the chicks looked weak tonight, so I also poured a little keifer in an empty tuna can and set that in for them to drink. At first, they only wanted to peck at the shiny can, but then one jumped in the keifer and hopped back out, dripping keifer behind him. The other chicks gathered around and cleaned up the drops of liquid that came of the guilty birds feet, and then another hopped in and out, and another.... Hopefully they'll figure out the correct way of drinking soon, as we don't currently have another small dish for liquids (like the one we have for their water.......)

Anyway, here's a picture of our little ones in the larger house that I made for them a few days ago: We've now had to set a wire-rack on top of the boxes to keep them in, as they can use their little wings quite well already!

Well, I'm sure I could think of more things to write about, but it's getting late (again) and I should get some sleep... So, I'll say good night and be off.

~Good night~