Did I say that loud enough? Sunshine & seedlings! Yes, we have seedlings, and I have photographic evidence to prove it. Unfortunately, not all my family members are as ecstatic as I am. My youngest daughter's enthusiasm was short lived when she realized the only thing popping its beady green shoots up through the compost was..... yes, you guessed it squash! Although I'm pretty sure the melon seeds are beginning to make an appearance too! No tomatoes yet though, although I know they are quite picky and like a lot of warmth. Hopefully soon.
I feel quite a sense of achievement. I know it's early days yet. It's one thing for me to be able to nurture a seedling, but it's quite another to get said seedling transplanted into the ground, and all the way to harvest. There are many dangers and perils for this poor plant, the greatest of which is me as its owner. My past experience has left a lot to be desired, but this is the year that that is going to change. Well, that is if the rabbits don't chomp off all the nice, green, leafy freshness like they did last year, leaving me with a bare stalk to contend with. Or if the chickens don't find the nice piles of manure we laid down and scratch everything up. That is if I don't forget to water them, not realizing quite how much water they need. Or in a sudden rush of panic one extremely hot summer day, accidentally drown the poor things. You see the dangers are numerous. No, not humerous, that's me trying to give myself a pep talk, 'You've got to be in this for the long haul, Annabel. No, running out of steam when weeding time comes, or harvest, or canning. You're in this for the long haul.... the long haul.' If we make it that far!
It has been a beautiful day here today, and the evenings are full of the sounds of spring. The air is warmer, the faint smell of fresh cut grass lingers, and the birds we haven't seen in a while are beginning to return to the bird feeders. In fact, I saw a male grosbeak at the feeder this evening. It's getting harder to call the kids in at night now. They too want to linger outside, climbing the apple trees, picking the fresh blossoms, catching grass hoppers. I love these evenings.
I have to remind myself to stop and take it all in. This afternoon I spent some time moving manure from over by the barn to our new vegetable plot - no small fete, I may add. One wheelbarrow at a time.
We still have a long way to go as we add rows of manure, but hey, Rome wasn't built in a day, right!
It's after a couple of hours of working on the farm and evening approaches that things take on a different beauty. As daylight begins to fade. Here are some shots from around the farm this evening.
I hope you too are finding time to enjoy these beautiful spring evenings. Here's to many more seedlings and beautiful spring nights to come.