Oh My Mudness

Well the rains have finally stopped after 40 days and 40 nights. Just kidding, just 4 days. But boy it will have been much needed if it turns off bone dry in the next months. It never did rain hard but it was a consistent mist/heavy fog for no lie 4 days. The ground is super saturated. Water is literally just sitting on top with no where to go. This being said, first thing this morning I knew I was going to have to get the cows to a new paddock. What a mess that turned out to be. No work boots here, had to pull out the dreadful rubber boots. Its like walking around with a tarp on your feet. I want leather, form fitting, steel toed boots, (Twisted X Boots, best boots out there.) So I moved the cows. This took quite a bit longer than normal because of moving hay in the mud. Boy I rutted the pasture up. But what do you do? Good thing is I plan to lightly disk in the early spring, first part of March anyway, so no harm done. This paddock is set up to be my Dr.'s visit for the cows. More on that tomorrow though.

Since the pastures are too wet to do anything in, I mean anything, the pig pasture has come to a screeching halt until next week. No fencing could be built, no nothing, except gardening. This is not my strong point, but I forgot just how good it feels to get your hands in some nicely tilled dirt and put some plants in the ground. I figured I would try to get a late winter garden in so that we could get a small bit to put up for the rest of the year. So today was the day to get started.


I tilled this area that was ready to go and put my rows in. This soil is so much different than it was last year due to the heavy amounts of compost it has received over the last 6 months. It has turned from a silty sand, almost beach like, to more of a sandy loam. I sure hope it produces well. Today we put in transplants, onions, broccoli, cauliflower, green leaf lettuce, cabbage, Chinese cabbage, brussels sprouts, and strawberries. In the next couple of days, I will seed beets, carrots, spinach, sugar snap peas, turnips, and a couple other lettuces. I don't know how well they will do but the garden is all I have right now to keep me busy. Plus, when I am this close to the house, my lovely bride can come out and help me while the kiddos are napping. Thats the best part.

You are so beautiful...to me...can't you see."

Am I gardening or playing football, who knows?

Had to move the chicken coop that was in the garden area. These guys just come right behind you and start to pull up what you just planted. I had to sit and watch them till dark to make sure they didn't go back but instead went into the coop to sleep. I showed them, took their eggs, then moved them in the pasture behind the barn. Good riddens for now.

Strawberry plants: never had any luck with them.