Saturday, March 29, 2008

Friday, March 28, 2008


This is also in bloom...spicebush.

Spring is here

I found this blooming in the yard today. It is called Whitlow grass and is in the mustard family.

Yes, I know it is only the end of March.

But this unseasonably warm weather and clear days are throwing me off.
I've been futzing around the field here and there but today I actually planted 90 feet of larkspur and 80 feet of baby's breath. I don't know how this will turn out being it is so early in the year...but technically one should be able to plant this early. If I can get moving I will try to cover these beds with row cover on hoops. That should keep the little guys safe from any more heavy frosts.
I left my flats of sweet peas out in the freezes we had a couple of nights ago and the soil and seedlings froze solid. But you know most of those little buggers are still alive! Plants amaze me. These sweet peas and more will be going out in the field next week.
Next week Jeff will disc part of the field (I "allow" Jeff to do the tractor work since he likes it so much) so I can follow with a few other early plantings.... that is, if there is no rain, which we really need (Doesn't that sound familiar.)
I have officially run out of window space but I keep planting seeds for some reason. It's like an addiction. I constantly shuffle plants around trying to get places to allow more to germinate. My hardening off area is going to grow because I HAVE to get some of these trays outside. Most of them will be ok with light frosts but if we go back to normal temperatures with heavy frosts, Ill be doing alot of bringing plants inside at night. So needless to say I'm not complaining about the weather...just worrying about what it means we have in store for us this summer. 65 degrees in March..what does that mean in August?
But I carry on...I'm so glad I'm not in charge of the weather. It would be very schizophrenic.

Monday, March 24, 2008

We made it to Lynchburg and back in one day. I had a two hour introduction to the theory of relativity on the way home. Just don't ask me to explain it.

Saturday, March 22, 2008

What have I been doing lately?

Here is the sowing room(i.e. the mud room). About 500 seedlings.




















Here is the germination room...i.e(the living room). About 1000 seeds and seedlings.























Here is the seedling room(i.e.the cellar). About 1000 seedlings.




And the hardening off area(i.e the front porch). About 500 seedling(to become thousands soon....any volunteers to help transplant the end of may?). It is dark out so I can't get this picture right now. Check back.

What are these seedlings you ask. Gomphrena, veronica, celosia, verbena, rudbeckia, bellflower, dianthus, snapdragons, foxgloves, delphiniums, cilantro, parsley, sage, fennel, achillea, sweet peas, feverfew, and much much more.

Friday, March 21, 2008

Suburbia: Where they tear out trees and name the streets after them.

Monday, March 17, 2008

Saturday, March 15, 2008


I know this is kinda old news but I wanted to show a picture of some of my 100 white pines that I planted as a wind break. These follow the north and west property line to help tame some of the winds that come over the pasture field so that eventually Jeff and I (with a little help from friends) can terrace some of the hill for crops. They are hard to see in the picture since they are less than a foot tall but they follow the fence line. (The fence is also a recent project. I started getting this up so we can raise a couple of dad's heifers in here. Hopefully I'll have it done by the end of March.)

Friday, March 14, 2008

Hey we did it!! We ate by 8:30 this evening. This would have been 7:30 in "pre-government altered" time. And we would've eaten earlier if I hadn't accidentally turned the oven off.

Insiduous attempts to subvert freedom by the US government....oops I mean the United Kingdom

This is a quote from Letters from a Farmer in Pennsylvania by John Dickenson written in 1787.

"What have these colonies to ask, while they continue free? Or what have they to dread, but insidious attempts to subvert their freedom?
Let these truths be indelibly impressed on our minds-that we cannot be HAPPY without being FREE-that we cannot be free, without being secure in our property, if, without our consent, others may, as by right, take it away- that taxes imposed on us by parliament, do thus take it away-that duties laid for the sole purpose of raising money are taxes-that attempts to lay such duties should be instantly and firmly opposed-that this opposition can never be effectual, unless it is the united effort of these provinces...."

Tuesday, March 11, 2008

Bad on New Years Resolution

Jeff and I were going to b eating by 7 every evening for our New Years Resolution. With our brilliant politicians changing the time early. We haven't even made it to eating before 8:30 yet. 8:45 it was this evening. I hate this time change. I'm way to exhausted by 7:00 for it to still be light out.

Of the "Middling Sort"

I've been reading American history of late and came across this interesting topic a number of times.

According to Clinton Rossiter, a professor, the five classes of the colonial period were "the better sort", "the middling sort", "the meaner sort", the indentured servant, and the slave. These are in order or what was perceived as being more demeaning.

Interesting, I thought, because most of America would fall in "the meaner sort" today. These were those that worked under others as day laborers, renters, or servants or one kind or another. The term "meaner sort" was not a term describing their personalities but rather it meant they were demeaned by their servitude to a boss. The desire of all men of early America was to work for themselves. Only immature men worked for another person. This today is the day jobber.

Now step up to the "middling sort". This was those who had attained their independence from servitude and were able to make an adequate living for themselves under their own direction. Mostly this was farmers but it also included other trades. This today would be small business owners(and where I happily fall).

And finally the "Better Sort". These were gentlemen of great wealth who mostly had gotten there by their own efforts. In other words stepping up from the "Middling Sort" by hard work. They were able to maintain a lifestyle in which they were in essence "Renaissance men", learning and developing many talents. These were often the politicians. Where are these men today?

Saturday, March 01, 2008