Spring is in the air!

Spring is so evident now throughout the farm! The fields are turning green, and some of the trees have started to bud. Throughout the area we are seeing daffodils blooming near old silos, and young calves frisking about. We laughed ourselves silly over the cattle across the street as a tiny new baby decided he was going to entice the other cattle to play...he chased them, head-butted the youngsters, and generally made a complete nuissance of himself with the herd. We've never seen cattle at play before, but like all children, they DO play!

Called a few people who advertised free puppies, but all the pups seem to be smaller breed mixes or too far away...we keep holding out for the perfect Retriever/Shepherd/big dog mix that will fill the gap Mr. Fox hound left when he died. That's a big gap to fill, because there never was such a good dog...sniff...when the right puppy comes along, we'll know.

Work has picked up considerably for both my companies, and so my time in the garden is relegated to a half hour to an hour before dinner. I finished outlining the perennial beds with rocks picked up on the farm, and I used the larger stones as Belgian blocks along the driveway.

I started writing again. I picked up the old fantasy novel that I have written about a million times before. The first chapter is going well. I am taking 'baby steps' towards all my goals lately, and this one especially. Since my dad died, I've had so much trouble writing any kind of fiction. It took a long, long time before I felt ready to write again. I figure if I write a little bit each day I will eventually have that first draft ready to go.

This weekend, my aunts, Sister Janice and Sister Jean, will be staying with us. I am really looking forward to their visit. Let the marathon cleaning session begin! Today starts the cleaning. John has to fninish fixing the spare bed for my aunt...and the library is a mess, since he's not finished the shelves....and the kitchen needs a good scrubbing...let the spring cleaning commence....! We are also going to a concert at our church with Phil and Annette Hertzler. I'm really excited to share St. Theresa's with them, and with John too. I love this "little church in the heart of Virginia" and want to share it with them, although I'm not sure how our non Catholic friends will react to the Catholic church. We are going to a choral concert, so it's not a full Mass or anything, but it may inspire some questions. I hope my Catholicism knowledge is up to date enough to answer their questions!!!

Off to get dressed, then to my writing for the day. Lots to do including office work, more work in the perennial gardens, photos of new horse models to take and market on line, and several advertising emails to get out for our various customers and business concerns.

Enjoy spring!

March Musings

It's a rainy, cold March day after a period of beautiful sunshine and bright 60 degree weather. I'm really enjoying Virginia's spring - it's a long, soft spring, unlike the "on/off" of New York weather. In New York, it can go from cold and wet 40 degree weather to 80 and sunny in a matter of just two weeks, and feel like there is no spring. Here, the spring feels soft, long and gentle, like the autumn was. I will like this weather if this is the usual!



I've been working like crazy on the perennial garden. It is a huge tract of land between the edge of the woods and the driveway that we left bare. Originally we thought we would plant wildflowers there. I don't know how it morphed into a perennial garden, but now it has become a formal garden, with paths and walkways and edging. I've been collecting rocks from all over the property and using them to edge the driveway and the garden. Over the winter I ordered a ton of plants - peony garden, shade gardens, a hummingbird garden collection, and about two dozens various perennials, including poppies, climbing roses, and many more. I am feeling the pressure as the emails start to come in announcing that the plants are on their way. We picked up two truckloads of horse manure from Arabians Destiny, a wonderful Arabian horse farm here in Virgina, and now I am working that into the soil too, hoping against hope that some of it will break down into this sandy clay soil before the plants arrive. We have to purchase two arbors, one for each entrance into the garden, and a nice bench. I also want to get a solar fountain and more. But all of this is going to have to be one day at a time. I think that my garden is going to be my lifelong project!



I have so many ideas and wishes for this farm....we put in the orchard, and John has started planning the chicken coop. I would love to have this farm producing vegetables, fruit, and chickens for meat and eggs, and perhaps some sheep or goats for meat and fiber. My sister Ann has said that if I raise sheep she will take the wool, as she has always wanted to spin and weave on her own, and knowing her she will use it! I wish I could be outside working on the farm every day. Even as a little girl, I wanted to be outside in the sunshine and fresh air as much as possible. I just love rolling up my sleeves and getting my hands dirty in the garden. My body feels like a truck ran over it from lifting rocks all week, but I've got to imagine that this is a better "full body workout" than if I did my videos in front of the TV in the basement. And from my office, the view that is shaping up from the perennial garden is spectacular!



But now back to work....to pay for the solar powered fountain I want to buy too...