Planting Time

Well, it might be a little early, but it feels like it will be an early summer this year, so we started putting the tomatoes in. I dug up a ton of the back area. Here Rick C helps while Buddy supervises. The chickens are working on another section.

Batch helps by hauling compost.

The starts are huge and fat. Definitely time to get them in the ground. Technically, last frost date was yesterday, but it's been warm. Buddy put the compost thermometer in the soil overnight, and it read 60 degrees in the early morning. Also, the bermuda grass is growing. As one other point of plant phrenology, the clematis and white dutch iris are blooming.

So with all these signs, we decided to go ahead. Again, Rick C. helps. He bends better than any of the rest of us. We put in two Indigo Rose, then two Tangerines, then two Cosmonaut Volkovs. I'll plant the rest in row 4. Well... the rest of what I have room for. I have lots of starts to share. Yesterday I got row 1 planted in hot peppers: 5 serranos, 5 Biker Billys, 7 padrons, then a red and an orange Thai pepper. I also put about 7 anchos in row 3 around the peas.

As mentioned, the clematis is blooming. This is the first blossom we've gotten from the three we planted last year. Also, we planted the cypress vine starts right by the clematis, around the base of the archway.

I upgraded the bath area with one of the black chairs. I had my first "bath," more of a spash session. But that's a sign of the temperatures.

The flowers between the pavers are looking nice right now. They're filling in nicely.

Catherine went up to Laura's art day, and made this decoupage box.

Very cool.

The plum trees are really filling out and starting to enclose the beer garden nicely. There is some fruit on each of the plums, and a lot of fruit on the apricot branch. The apricot tree is having a rough year, but that's to be expected with the intense pruning it got.

It's rather a lean time for harvesting. While the peas are thriving, they're not quite ready yet.

We had one lettuce make it through the winter.

And fortunately, we were able to harvest some fava beans from 9th Street.

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What We're Eating
Buddy emailed me a Mother Earth recipe for skillet cornbread, Glen traded some smoked pork for a growler, and I peeled some fava beans. It was all delicious.

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I've been trying to notice something interesting each time we walk. The new leaves on the oaks just sparkle against the sky.

And then there was this... it's hard to see here, but there is a green sphere in this tree, way up high.

How did it get there?

We were able to move the fence post back into position over at 9th Street. Titus helped do a bunch of cosmetic fixes to make the house look nicer, so we can get it rented. Now we just have to put on the top rail and weave the new fencing in. We think we'll fix the back fence with wire and really tall poles, to keep the neighbor's dog from jumping over.

And what is this creepy guy?