Homesteading Update: Planting, Projects, & More!

             Hey folks! Spring seems to be in full swing here in south central Indiana, so we've been busy beavers! Now, just keep your fingers crossed it's here to stay and old man Winter doesn't pop up unexpectedly!

             Have I ever mentioned how much our in-laws help out with, well, just about everything, around here? If I haven't, I am now! We got a lot accomplished over Easter weekend, including rearranging some chickens. The little peepers got moved to fresh grass for the first time, so that's always exciting. They have a lot more space now too in the old “baby pig pen”.

             We also had 2 of our own chicks hatch from letting our broody Silkie Bantam take care of them! We actually had one hatch the week before, but the big girls got it and killed it. :( Lesson learned. I'm still mad about that! So, we had to lock Francine and her babies up in a cat carrier until we were able to move them into the “baby pen” inside the chicken coop. Oh. And one of the chicks didn't make it. It looked like it tried to hatch, but wasn't strong enough to break through the shell. :( But, I think 3 out of 4 is pretty good!

             These two crazy kids look like they could use a kiddie pool to cool off in, amiright? XD It's been in the 70's and even 80's here this week, so these guys have been cooling off in their impromptu mud pit. So. Ridiculously. Muddy. Seriously, though, I do plan on purchasing a little plastic kiddie pool from the store this week and see if they enjoy that.

             My in-laws and hubby have been hard at work in the garden. Doesn't it look nice?! Planting is my least favorite part of gardening, ironically enough, so I was glad to find excuses to not help. Lol Kids are great scapegoats sometimes, aren't they? I contributed by hanging CD's up in hopes of keeping the birds away, planting marigold seeds around the perimeter to keep rabbits and other critters out, and weeded around the peas. I am still worried they are planting too early, but hey, I'm not the one doing the planting!

             We also got the squash garden set up over Easter weekend. Let me tell you, I did most of our squash patch by myself last year and it is SO much faster and easier to set up with 4 people!...And much more pleasant since it's not the beginning of July and blistering hot! :/

             So I started on this nonsense too. This is one of those projects I've had in the back of my mind for awhile, but it wasn't exactly pressing. I've been wanting to rip this crappy looking walkway up for awhile. We don't use it. Then, when I was trying to think of where to plant some herbs, I thought this would make a great spot! It's close to the house so if we need some for cooking we can grab them easily AND it gives me an excuse to finally tear this area up!

             I was so glad it was easier to get that evil black plastic crap up than I thought it would be...But then there was the surprise of MORE pavers underneath! Seriously!? Rocks along the edge, pavers, TWO layers of plastic, and more pavers under that. Unamused. But, in theory, the worst part should be hauling the “trash” off and removing any roots that are in the way. (What is up with all of the roots around this place? It's like someone played Jumanji here or something!)

             Last, but not least, I had to share these just because. Even though I could do without the grass and weeds going berserk already, there is no denying how pretty some of the blooms are, like this dogwood tree and lilac flowers. :)

             What spring projects are you up to?