3rd week of May 2007

After a long string of beautiful days and plenty of planting the refreshing rain has brought relief to many thirsty plants as well as allowed time for me to catch up on some much neglected housework. Since it is still too wet to work in the ground, my helper Shanelle will get to help me make a batch of handmade recycled paper today for cards that will later be embellished with pressed flowers. This rain will also surely give both the plants and the weeds a real growth spurt. Speaking of weeds, I'm discovering that they can be quite beneficial when located in the proper places. This year we are raising some medicinal herbs for an herbalist friend but also she comes and collects weeds like nettles, peppergrass, chickweed, burdock,... According to her, one "rule" is that God provides things in abundance when they are packed with good nutrients or healing capacities - the lowly dandelion is a prime example. I am enjoying learning many new properties of weeds and also love the fact that I can now consider some of my weeds as a "cash crop."

1st batch of chicks Baby chicks arrived in the mail last week and all 150 were peeping like crazy when we picked them up. These broilers will spend their first few weeks in the "nursery" under heat lamps with water and organic chick starter before being turned outside in movable pens to add grass and bugs to their diet. Our daughter enjoys her job of caring for the peeps who are already starting to add white wings feathers to their yellow down. I am looking forward to restocking our freezer in 8 or 9 weeks as well as having plenty to offer to others. Another task we need to attend to before that time is purchasing butchering equipment so we can butcher on our farm this year.

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