Snow Today, Gone Tomorrow!

It's been a week of the weather whipping you back and forth, as it has for much of the country.
The hens have had to deal with some discomfort but the seedlings are growing happily in their special attic space which I crawl into and check on them every morning and every evening (just like I do once they are planted outside and I have to tuck them into their various frost protections every night and open them up to the sun every day). It's good routine!
And even if the hens are unhappy with the weather, the ducks are ecstatic and have been busy laying egg after egg!
Hopefully I can get back to tinkering on the many tiny construction projects next week (the workspace is essentially a wind tunnel) because before I know it all the little baby seedlings will be grown up and ready to get planted outside!

What was snow one day, was a slushy slurry the next!

Every year I'm tempted to get a fancy seeder that can seed a whole flat in under a minute and then I don't. There are multiple reasons, like they use a vacuum and vacuums are noisy, I often don't seed a flat with the same single variety (especially with the flowers), and they won't work with a lot of the more irregular shaped flower seeds, but truly it comes down to this: I like to touch the seeds. Creepy of me right? It may be 'woowoo' but I like to give them a little sense of hope, a little feeling of gratitude for their current and future self, a 'seed hug' if you will. So go forth and not only hug a tree but also hug a seed because it is just a baby tree!

If these little seedlings look a lot like carrots to you, then you have a good eye! They are baby Queen Anne's Lace and Chocolate Lace Flower, both relatives of carrots that flower in the first year (not the second like carrots do) and make larger and more numerous blooms, but not much root.

The first sowing of Cherry Tomatoes are growing well, and the second sowing got done this weekend. In another week or two, they'll each get upgraded to larger pots and smothered with as much indoor light I can give them as I don't trust putting them into the greenhouse (even with a heater) until March/April. I sleep better knowing they are safe from a sudden overnight cold snap.

I'm finally getting to winnowing and sifting the saved seeds from last year! I should have done it months ago, but that's life. Every time you save seeds you are choosing individuals that are thriving in your region and local conditions. This is the perennial Lupine that grows big and bushy, with tall spires of purple, blue, pink, and white blooms that are beloved by bees and can handle frosts! I'm working on prepping the cold hardy varieties first so they will be available for planting as the conditions are right!

The hens may get wet feet in their run, but in their coop it is drier so most stay in there, but the Teal Hut (home to the two bantam roosters) had a fully flooded run with water about 3-4 inches deep and they are tiny dudes, so I put their food and water in their hut and they have to spend some time cooped up until the water flows away, as chickens are not swimmers, especially little plump dudes with feathered feet!

As the chickens get special treatment and consideration in the wet times, the ducks don't care one bit! I'm sure this drake wishes his run was flooded instead!

The firewood shed floor has quickly become a chunky smoothie of mud and bark bits! Since it is a low spot relative to the snow outside (especially on the sides where it falls off the roof), it all flows in and even though the wood is off the ground a bit I may end up with some logs in ice!

But the water in the shed is good for one thing: to keep the axe heads on with no bucket needed!

It looks like I can now designate the Farm Laborer's trailer and the Cabin as lake front property! 😂

What's available this week?

• Eggs!
  • dozen pasture-raised rainbow eggs
  • half dozen pasture-raised duck eggs 
• Flowers!
  • Dried Statice Bunches
  • Mixed Dried Bouquets
  • Everlasting Wreaths
  • Potpourri Bundles
  • Flower Crowns
• Veggies!
  • Microgreens
    • Spicy Mix: Radish & Arugula
      • Large 4oz
      • Small 1oz
    • Mild Mix: Broccoli, Mizuna, Ch. Cabbage, Kale
      • Large 4oz
      • Small 1oz
• • Shoots
    • Sunflower Shoots
      • Small 1oz
      • Large 3oz
    • Pea Shoots
      • 1 oz
  • Wheatgrass
    • 4 inch wide tray
• Crafts!
  • Treasure Bowls
  • Dragon Clips
• Botanicals!
  • Dragon's Balm
    • 0.25 oz
    • 1 oz
• Yard Sale!
  • Kitchenware
  • Dinnerware
  • Tea Pots
  • Vacuum
  • Utensils
  • Vintage Home Goods
  • LEGO
  • Playpen
  • Yarn
  • Scrap/Practice Fabric

Where to find it all?

I'll be at Libby this Friday from 12-1230pm!

I'll be at Troy this Friday from 1-130pm!

Recipes for Food Eaters

This is a great recipe to use both those beet roots and beet tops, plus some yummy duck or chicken eggs! 
Sprinkle with some tangy goat cheese and pork sausage and it's a protein powerhouse perfect for breakfast or dinner!

Find the Recipe here!
From Dishing Up the Dirt