The Great Wait

 I'm not sure how spring can be both long and short at the same time.  On one hand, we spend so much time waiting, and on another, we are so busy that we can't catch our breath.  It goes back and forth a lot, depending on the weather.  If it rains and snows for two weeks, we have no choice but to sit inside and wait.  Then one day we realize it has gotten warm enough to go outside, and two days later the garden is dry enough to work.  But hurry, there are only three more days of warm dry weather before it begins to rain again!  

 That is what our spring has been.  Wait, then rush.  I can't tell if I hate it or love it!  On the one hand it's frustrating having to work with nature's fickle ways, or if it's actually a wise way to work.  Sure, you get exhausted by three days of constant hard work, but then you get a two week break.  

It's been two months since I last posted, and a lot has happened since then.  A lot of waiting for the weather to get better, and a lot of rushed work in the garden.  There was even Easter in there!  Because of the timing, we decided to stay home and have a real Easter dinner right here.  

 And I got to make one of Chad's favorite things, hot cross buns.

 It was really cozy, and we got to enjoy those buns for quite a while because I froze half of them right away.

We invested in some homesteading tools this spring as well.  Chad bought a larger, nicer battery chainsaw and a push mower that uses the same battery.  The idea was that we wouldn't need as many batteries that way, since he's not going to be sawing and mowing at the same time.  Trick's on us, though.  The company was having a promotion and sent us two free batteries in the mail,  so now we have six batteries for two devices.  

Here's Chad trying out his new chainsaw on the trees down by the cabin.  He took out quite a few dead trees back there, and it's beginning to really look nice!

Another thing we invested in are more implements for our walking tractor, all for handling the wood we're taking down.  We got a chipper/shredder, a log splitter, and a wheelbarrow attachment that will allow us to use the tractor to haul heavy loads (like pieces of wood!).  It was a real bear to get all of this delivered to our house, but we finally got it.  It's not yet fully put together yet because so much else has been taking priority.  Here's Chad with the unwrapped boxes.

 The main priority has been the garden.  When the weather is right and the soil is workable, I need to be out there working on the garden.  One Thursday, we got word that our berry plants had been shipped out, so Chad and I spent four days working our butts off getting the beds ready.  First he needed to change the oil in the rototiller:

 Then we needed to spread compost and fertilizer before tilling it all in.  Then the beds needed reshaped, and then trenches dug to lay the plants into.  Then finally the little guys came in the mail.  I wish I'd remembered to take a picture of them, but oh it was just such a rush to get it all done!  We didn't finish planting until 8:30 at night, and even then the strawberries still had to go in.  I got up early and put them in the next day. All of this happened during a ridiculously warm spell, 70-80 degree weather for a week!  It was totally perfect for working in the garden.  But then as soon as the plants were in the ground, what do you think happened?  Was it a crazy cold snap that got down to 21 degrees?  Yep, of course.

 

 Because the blackberries came as a culture plug and had lots of green leaves, we decided to cover them as best as we could.  We also went around and covered the strawberries with the straw mulch just to give them a little extra protection.  I also steeled my heart for the loss of our apple blossoms.  Those silly things had already started to break bud, and I was sure it would nip them all.

 The berries came through just fine, thank goodness, and believe it or not, most of the apple blossoms seem to have made it through too.  Some were damaged, but most were ok.  We are in yet another cold snap at the moment, so only time will tell if we will get any apples in fall.  A girl can hope!

Here is how the berry plants are looking now.  Strawberries:

And blackberries:
 

 

The raspberries are just beginning to pop out of the soil, and the rhubarb is just starting to do the same.  Only one blueberry has broken bud so far.  I think in the next few days, as it warms up, we'll see more berry action!

 I've been enjoying seeing the flowers I planted last fall too.  I'm a chaos planter, and I never really know where things will show up in the spring.  It's a lovely surprise to come upon spring flowers after you had forgotten all about them.

 And of course, we get to enjoy the hundreds of daffodils planted by the previous owner.  They're everywhere.  Near the house, in the field, across the road, even into the woods way out back!

 Another thing we invested in was a new bed for me.  It's been a long time since I had a new bed.  It's also a queen size bed, which means I had to rearrange by bedroom a little since my old bed was a twin.  All of that moving around of furniture got my decorating juices flowing, and so now I'm thinking about painting and putting things on the wall, and making a new quilt for my new bed.  We put up my curtains this week, and I'm making plans for other things I want to do when we have more time and energy.  Here's the paint color I'm thinking about using, and a pretty sheet I'm drawing inspiration from for the quilt and decor.

 I had to resist temptation every time we visited Tractor Supply.  The gentle peeping always draws me to the back of the store, where I get to chat to and watch fluffy babies.

 Chad had to scare off some visitors to our yard recently.  We definitely don't want these two nesting near my garden.  I'd have no peace out there!

 We have had a week of rest, and it looks like tomorrow is going to be back to rushing again.  The broccoli, cabbage, rutabagas, carrots, kale, and chard all need to go in tomorrow morning!  

Dorian and Velvet would rather we stayed in and kept them company.