POTATOES and ASPARAGUS

We've been busy getting our garden beds ready for planting.

These bags of wood shavings come from our local lumberyard and help keep our beds and paths clean and organized.

With the wood shavings and cardboard underneath the amount of weeding we need to do should be greatly reduced.

Our asparagus beds got a thin coat of compost and we noticed the first asparagus spears are poking through.

The "heugal" hills were covered with black tarps to kill the weeds and will stay like that for a month. Then we will plant zucchini and pumpkin which do well.

This week I want to get the roof beam replaced in the chicken coop (you see in the background)  and start on the roof. Our chickens arrive June 24th so lots of time to get the job done.

As Dad would say' "Always something"

Stay safe and well everyone and thanks for stopping by.

WHAT HAPPENED?

Spring disappeared yesterday, buried beneath a blanket of snow.

Our gardens are dressed for winter, wrapped in plastic under an old blanket and a fresh layer of snow.

It will be a few more days before these seed potatoes get planted. Today it's -5*C, much too cold for working in the garden.

Guess it's back to splitting wood.

Fire is on, we are warm. Stay safe and well everyone.

VEGETABLE GARDEN

Here it is May 8th, 6:30 a.m. and ice covers everything.

We have four raised garden beds full of young plants that are somewhat tolerant of cold weather; lettuce, radishes, kale. So we shall see later this morning how hardy they are.

Yesterday we filled our tomato beds with fresh compost then wrapped them under a tarp to kill any weeds. It will be another month before the tomatoes go in and then this bed will  be wrapped in clear plastic to create a mini-greenhouse.

We also spread a fresh layer of compost on the potato bed and today we plan to put down cardboard around the perimeter then cover the bed with the tarp lying to the right. The seed potatoes will be planted next week when our weather warms up.

This year we have embraced the "NO DIG" approach to gardening which our daughter uses and has had great success with. I'll share more as our growing season progresses.

Stay safe and well and thanks for stopping by.

PLANTING ELDERBERRIES

Our days are busy even though Kate and Owen have gone home. This evening after supper we decided it was time to transplant the elderberry shoots. We collected these back in March and now that they have roots we can plant them outside.

Mary gave directions as to where she wanted each pot placed as she had more than 40 shoots to transplant.

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I dug the holes .......................................

while Mary did the planting.

She also tied red tape to each clump so I don't accidently mow them down next time I'm cutting weeds.

Job is done, now it's time for a movie and some popcorn.

Enjoy the evening and stay safe everyone.

GYM on the PORCH

Our days are much warmer and the kids wanted to play on the deck so we moved some equipment outside.

Owen has good balance and likes to stand when he swings.

Other times Kate prefers to give Owen a swing.

She also enjoys her time on the mini-bounce.

It's a great way to have some fun at Oma's.

Stay safe and well and thanks for stopping by.

LEARNING TO FLY

Yesterday we got the drone out and Owen taught me how to fly it. Launching was easy, getting it to avoid the trees was a challenge.

Of course it never landed nearby and Owen and Kate would run off searching in the direction we last saw it.

Owen was much more successful and kept the drone steady and on course whenever he took the controls.

Kate didn't fly it but she sure enjoyed running after it.

This morning is sunny, 12*C and no wind; another perfect day for flying.

Stay safe and healthy and thanks for stopping by.

DRESS-UP DAY

Yesterday was an indoor day; a day spent chatting with mom and dad and finding the perfect costume in Oma's dress-up box.

Kate's first costume was "SUPER LADYBUG"

She upgraded her glasses to something a little more "chic"

New glasses, ...................... new power.

Owen arrived as the "Grim Reaper" very scary indeed. He just needs a large scythe to be the real deal.

Even grandpa had to get dressed up. Yes the glasses and nose are fake the rest is real; scary hu!

Time for a change; now she's "SUPER BEE"

Could we find anyone sweeter?  I don't think so.













Not sure what we will do today.

Thanks for stopping by and stay safe everyone.