this weekend

While papa was away on a big tree climb in the Smokies (helping map out and measure some of the nation's largest hardwoods), my little sweet potato and I had a nice time putzing around and exploring.

We discovered that over the last several weeks, while we weren't looking, the Parks and Recreation Dept. finished another chunk of the Greenway system (which will eventually cover several miles and connect a couple of towns with each other and with mountain trail systems, quite wonderful I think); the part that conveniently ends just blocks from us and leads right into town.  We headed down the path and walked along a beautiful creek past several grand old sycamores.

creeping phlox along the way

I started tomato, sweet pepper, eggplant, basil, parsley, collard, and tatsoi seeds in flats on our dining table, while she played with pasta

we spied peas sprouting in the raised beds,

and a new nest on some old garden tools (guess we won't be using those for a bit)

I made a double batch of that delicious chai concentrate, this time adding extra black pepper and cardamom.  And then I threw in some dried rose petals just for kicks since they are so wonderful and the results were quite excellent.  Suppose it will last the week.  Maybe.

We took ourselves on the beautiful hike that I mentioned in yesterday's post

I tried to figure out the latest of our hen mysteries..... who is it that is actually laying the one egg we get a day, is there a snake eating eggs, and/or, is one of the hens turning into a sneaky little egg snatcher?  I spied on them, I felt their pelvic bone spacing (which only confused me more since the one I was sure was doing the laying had less of a spacing there), I added extra bedding to cushion against breaking eggs and tossed them some extra oyster shell for calcium to beef up those thin shells...... And?  Well, I'm still confused.  We'll see.  May be adding a few more hens to the mix here soon.  Surely that will just mix me up even more.  But at least then I (hopefully) won't have to go out and buy eggs like I did last week (!)

Claire got excited about feeding some greens to the girls

We snuck around getting a birthday surprise together for Mike, two used rain barrels purchased from some of our lovely neighbors.  Claire rode happily on my back while I took the wheelbarrow up and down the street getting the barrels and accessories and then washed them out with the hose and stashed them under the porch.  His birthday is in a week.  I showed him the barrels tonight.  I'm not so good with surprises, especially if they are hanging out right under the house.

We stopped in at the local independent toy store and I learned that my recycled sweater stuffed animals are indeed selling and that I need to get sewing again to bring them some more and get ready for the market. The market which starts in 6 weeks.  The market that I was going to spend "all Winter" crafting to get ready for.  Oh, look.  Winter's over.  Hmmm.  Well that was fast!

I worked on deciding which photos I want to enlarge and frame to hang in a local bakery/cafe in a few weeks.  I've been granted wall space for 8 weeks and I'm quite excited and a little unsure of what to hang.  I usually take pictures with photo cards in mind, not enlarged prints, so I'm finding myself looking at things in a different way, and that's a good thing.

And here we are, Monday.  It was 75 degrees here today in Western NC and it was all I could do to contain my excitement over spring.  SPRING!  SPRING!  The days of regularly hanging laundry on the line and feeling motivated to take at least 2 walks a day and gardening in short sleeves and getting my hands in the soil on a daily basis are upon us at last.  Thank you Winter for your lovely way of getting us to bundle up and get cozy by the fire with hot tea and hot soup and a good book, thank you for providing many moments of quiet reflection and introspection.  I look forward to seeing you again next year but for now, you may carry on and go elsewhere.  You see, I've invited Spring to stay for a bit and there's not enough room for you here as well.  Not now.  Cheers.