Bobbies

First Strawberries, a photo by zostra on Flickr.

When I was a little, little girl, my father had a strawberry patch. I *loved* strawberries. I would eat anything with strawberries in it or on it. I would crawl out, before I could even walk, into the strawberry patch and eat any strawberry I could get my little fingers on, even the green ones. I called them "bobbies" (once I could talk...I was eating strawberries long before I was verbal). There's a great picture on my wall of my father holding me out like a little airplane by the straps of my overalls. I'm covered in mud and strawberry juice, with a big grin on my face. Today I decided to forgo the mud, and only go for the ripe ones, but I'm just as ecstatic at 36 as I was at less than one to be eating bobbies from the backyard.

Fair Trade Eggs

Fair Trade Eggs, a photo by zostra on Flickr.

My friend Sarah's daughter turned 9 this past weekend, but didn't want birthday cake. She wanted lemon cupcakes. I volunteered to make them, and as payment was given 8 beautiful eggs from the chickens in their yard. I think it was a very fair trade.

What I did on my vacation

Planted Garden 4, a photo by zostra on Flickr.

Two days of vacation time plus one weekend = a real garden. After carrying thousands of pounds of soil amendment, compost, and bark (not exaggerating, it was about 3600 pounds of stuff over the four days and one of those days we didn't carry anything), laying three paths and one patio-ish corner, fixing two raised beds, and planting bunches of stuff, it's official. I have a garden. Come June or so I'll have a small jungle of produce (fingers crossed that this prediction comes true). We planted 2 types of kale, 5 types of carrot, 4 types of beet, 2 types (but many plants) of tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, 5 varieties of herbs, 2 types of strawberries, half a dozen types of flowers, and I'm sure I'm forgetting a few things. Zucchini and bunching onions are still in their pots for a few days. Peas will stay in their trellised pot. Here's hoping for a bumper crop and lots of yummy meals over the summer. Yes, you're invited.

Paths are Laid

Paths & a full box, a photo by zostra on Flickr.

Friday we got the rest of the hard rototilling done, and brought in another 1200 pounds of dirt (this time compost). Finished laying out the winding paths, filled on raised bed, cut plastic for the little patio and the third path, and of course weeded some more. The weeding is done (at least until more sprout tomorrow). Today we're planning on "finishing" (she says with a grain of doubt) and actually planting. Going to pick up a load of bark in a few minutes to put in the paths and the mini-patio. That only ways around 650 pounds. An easy day. Unless we decide on one last load of compost...