Feeling Handy

It is definitely Spring.

Green grass, snow, robins, workable soil, wind, more critters out and about around the farm, rain...  and the beginning of dry, rough hand season.  Dirt begins residing in the cracks that form on my hands and will not go away unless I'm outside getting soaked in a rain.  No amount of scrubbing with soap and scrub brushes will get it all out until then.  And, if you've ever done any amount of gardening without gloves - you also know the early season feeling you get when dirt is shoved up under the nails.  Not pleasant, but you toughen up eventually.

Yes, yes, I know.  Wear gloves.   If you want to see logic regarding such things - go to Road Map to Zucchini look in the left margin and scroll down.  I think you'll figure it out. 

Other interesting farm things:

- Chickens in the wind.  You know it is windy when most of a chickens feathers fan out when their back end faces the wind.  It can be interesting watching them attempt to maintain their balance.  Needless to say, on days like that, they usually stay in sheltered locations.

- The seedling tray dance is in full swing.  The high tunnel has many trays of onions and leeks on the ground.  There are also trays of lettuce, broccoli, kale and other items there.  The garage has a growing unit with peppers and eggplants and a few trays of marigolds.  One four-tier has tomatoes, basil, spices, snapdragons and cockscomb.   A cart holds recently transplanted Silvery Fir Tree tomatoes.  The downstairs seed starting shelves hold more tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, broccoli, cauliflower, kale and whatever else there is.  Soon, the cold frames will hold plants as well.