Saturday Already

 It looks like it is going to be a gorgeous weekend here in Okie Land.  Great weather for working outside. I hope where ever you are you are able to at least catch a bit  of sunshine.  Spring is almost here and I am so danged excited! I'm tired of winter and I'm ready to get on with it.  I know all the kids are out of school this week for Spring Break  and they are tired of winter too.
 We've been working on the lower garden spot this week and I'm happy to say that every row that was ready is planted!  The drip water irrigation tape is laid and the water hooked up.  The weeds are pulled one last time before planting and the rows are raked out.  Seeds in.....  lets GROW!  We've got onions, spinach, turnips, three types of lettuce and Swiss Chard planted. 

Drip line Irrigation set up

 My broccoli seed didn't come up and so if we want to grow some we'll have to pick up some plants along with the tomato and pepper plants.  I just got too late a start this year to do them. Next year I'll be in the greenhouse a couple of months before planting season and try to eliminate this expense.

Onions Going in

 I still haven't decided if I want to try and plant potato's this year.  I might still pick up some seed potato's when I go to the feed store on the first.  I've been thinking about trying to grow them in some of the heavy duty feed sacks we have and use hay to grow them in. ( note to self- put straw on the list)

  I want to get some carrots started soon but I've got to get a spot ready for them first.  We filled up the lower garden pretty quickly.  It's not the place to be growing carrots though as the soils just not right for them down there.   Speaking of getting a spot ready, we have been, and will be continuing to get everything ready to plant.  All the rows need to be cultivated and raked and weeded and the water tape laid this month.  Our frost free date is April 15th. 

I'll use anything to plant in!

 I don't want to jump the gun and start tender plants too soon.  Last year we did really well with the plantings.   We had an unusually early spring and Mars took total advantage of it.  This is a risky way to plant though.  You just never know when things just might freeze that one last time.  Perfect example is last October when it froze for two nights running (almost a month early).  We lost most of what we had planted in the fall garden and what was left of everything else.  I'm not sure we'll do that this year.  I've always been a fan of at least waiting till after Easter. 

I've been having a wonderful time playing in the greenhouse.  Things are finally just starting to come up and its a cool thing to see all the little sprouts pushing out toward the light.  I've got several different types of flower seed started as well.  It feels a little strange to me to be trying to grow flowers.  I've been on the  "Eat what you grow"  kicks for a few years now.  Now that we are here on our little slice of Heaven I've got room to grow some flowers.  I've been trying to focus on perennials and flowers that attract bees and hummingbirds. I really want a few butterfly bushes someday, but that's going to have to wait.   We've got a spot all picked out for a sort of "wildflower" area.  This is where we planted potato's and squash last year and realized that it was so close to the old burned out house that we would be picking old pieces of glass and assorted junk from the soil for years to come.  So I'm going to try and turn it into a little spot that is colorful and doesn't need to be mowed often.  I'm pretty danged excited about that.

See where I need to put another shelf?

I've been really quiet about the rabbits for awhile.  I've got to be the most inept rabbit breeder around.  How can you have rabbits for well over a year and a half and have had no living baby rabbits to show for it?  I wish I had an answer.  Mars has been eying the bucks lately and there's a real good possibility that one may be invited to dinner soon.  I don't know what the deal is.  The new doe seems OK.  The bucks just don't seem interested.   I've tried everything I know to do.  I think it may be karmic.  ;o).   I finally stopped by to see Sandy over at Oz Ranch.  This is where I got my new doe a few months ago so I thought I'd hit up an expert for some advice.  They raise New Zealand's for public sale and for pelts.  Don't freak out ok?  They also sell pretty much any sort of poultry you might be looking for. From standard breed chickens to peacocks and turkeys.   The other thing they are doing there is raising Nubian and Boer Goats.  So it's a really cool place.  I like going out there and Sandy is always happy to take a break and talk to me as we stroll around her place.

Gladys

Anyway.... I promise... this is leading somewhere.... eventually....    After talking with Sandy about the rabbit situation here at the homestead, she made a couple of suggestions.  Here's the game plan.  First I'm going to take Gladys ( the doe) over to Oz Ranch and get her bred.  If she has babies (like she should) I'll take a male back to Sandy and trade for another with a different bloodline.  If she doesn't get preggo then Sandy has offered to replace her.  I like the way she does business and will probably buy my meat chickens from her because of it.  I still want goats as well but I've finally decided that I want to go with a Nubian Dwarf or a Pigmy.  I'd be willing to bet she might be able to hook me up with a breeder.  I'm just real happy to have met the folks out at Oz Ranch.  One day when I'm out there I'll have to take some pictures.  It's quite a set up.

All this talk of rabbits has me thinking that it's time to get them moved out of the barn.  Winter is over (I think) and the days are warmer and warmer.  Their spot out under the old shady oak tree is ready.  Well... almost ready.  The leaves aren't quite on the trees yet.  I really like having them in the barn since it just makes feeding and watering so much easier, but they can't stay in there all year long. And speaking of things in the barn,  I've been looking longingly at my empty dehydrators.  They've been sitting idle most of the winter and are now covered in dust.  So I need to clean up all 20 trays, the screens and the fruit leather trays.  Once I get that done I think I'll find a sheet or something to cover them when they aren't being used.  I don't have the room in the trailer to run dryers so I dry in the  barn.  Maybe I'll get that done this weekend.  We'll see.   

So what are you doing this weekend?  Any plans for Spring Break?  Will you be doing any gardening this year?  I know some of you are still too far North to do much more than want to reach out and smack me for even asking yet.  Sorry.... lol... hang on folks... Spring is right around the corner!