GREENHOUSE

Yesterday was the perfect early spring day up here; sunny with a high of 9*C. We got out our little greenhouse and filled it with trays of sprouts and seedlings.

Soon it was so warm inside droplets of dew formed on the plastic. The sprouts and seedlings did just fine in the warmth of their new home. Today will be even warmer, so once again, back into the greenhouse.

Hope everyone is staying safe and well.

ACTS OF KINDNESS

Tulips are Mary's favourite flower and yesterday she got a beautiful  bouquet from our neighbour. It was a small act of kindness that was greatly appreciated.

They were left on our doorstep (in accordance with the safe distance practice) and a text message was sent letting Mary know a surprise package had been delivered.

It brought a tear to her eyes and much gratitude to her heart. Kindness will do that, whether you give it or receive it. In these days of added stress, acts of kindess help keep everything in perspective.

I hope today you receive some unexpected kindness; a small act that brings a tear of gratitude to your heart. Tomorrow it will be your turn to give such a gift.

Enjoy today and thanks for stopping by.

HOMEMADE PROTECTION

Our COVID - 19 numbers continue to climb here in Canada and each day our government issues new guidelines to follow. Yesterday when I went shopping in Peterborough I was impressed with the number of people wearing masks, most being homemade. This morning we went through the house and found enough supplies in Mary's sewing closet to make several good quality personal masks suitable to wear when shopping.

Above you can see what we used, pipe cleaners, elastic, fabric, and vacuum cleaner filters.

In just a few miutes Mary and stitched together all the parts and the first mask was ready for trial. It fits snuggly and breathing is not a problem.

Not a very complimentary picture but it does give you an idea how the mask fits aand looks. We no longer worry about appearance, we worry about our safety. I believe we will be wearing masks for shopping from now on.

Safe travels and stay healthy.

SHELTER IN PLACE

All over the world people are being forced to stay at home and stay indoors. We have the same expectations here and so we have been busy with projects and tasks around the house.  Because we are so far from neighbours we do work outside on some spring projects.

One task Mary has started is rug making. She is using old jean scraps and is having fun just experimenting with freehand design.

This morning she baked pretzels for the neighbours.

These are sourdough pretzels made from fresh ground whole wheat. DELICIOUS!!

You can get the recipe by clicking this  LINK

Stay safe and healthy and thanks for stopping by.

WINTER DAMAGE

As you can see we've had some winter damage on our large chicken coop.

The snow load was more than the beam could handle and this must be repaired before our chickens arrive in May.

Since the entire coop is wrapped in chicken wire I plan to insert a new beam and jack it into place. I will add an additional beam the full length of the coop just as added security. My beams are simply tree trunks cut from our property so I have plenty to choose from.

Looks rather sad and forlorn sitting there neglected in the snow.

Hope you are staying safe from the COVID 19 virus. Ontario now has over 1,700 confirmed cases.

SEQUENCE

Everything has a proper sequence, the right time and order to do the job so it gets done without wasting time and energy. Winter is the season to collect firewood for next winter. The wood is frozen, so much easier to split and there is less damage to the ground as it is frozen and protected with a layer of snow.

Once the tree is down I cut the limbs off then cut the trunk into short logs that will fit our woodstove. These are called bucks and need to be split into firewood. The easiest way is to collect several and place them inside an old tire or wrap a chain around them to hold them in place.

I then load my sled and haul it over to a storage cube for a year of drying. Hauling the sled full of firewood makes me feel like the work horses on my uncle's farm; hard, physical labour and a good workout for my legs and heart.

The cubes are made from old skids leftover from our house construction. They are ideal for storage as they let the breeze in and I can easily move them with the bobcat.

Still lots of work to do before I have enough firewood drying. The days are getting warmer and the snow is melting so the race is on. Time to get back to work.

Thanks for stopping by and stay safe everyone.

WATERING PLANTS

Mary has a Fig tree which has 21 figs hanging on its branches now. We were to be in Virginia Beach for a month (until the COVID 19 virus struck) and we needed a way to water the tree while away.

We ordered these spikes whose green tops you can see in the pot. The spike is made from ceramic material that allows the water to trickle into the soil at a controlled rate.

We use one gallon jugs and they last a week so someone does need to come in and fill them.

So far very happy with the system and it does exactly what we want it to do. Can you see the figs hanging from the branch? (cluster of 5)


Stay safe and well and thanks for keeping an eye on us.