April 14

Good Morning! it looks like a beautiful frosty morning out there. the grass has a light coating - the valleys probably got hit with a good dose.

49 years ago today, I was born at Quonset Point Naval Hospital. 5 days later, my very strait-laced Baptist, Republican grandmother had her camera confiscated for taking pictures in a sensitive area. fortunately, she had just changed the film, so they do have pics of me - in a silly ruffled bonnet, probably pink. It didn't work, I've always been a blue jeans kind of a girl.

Patty, sorry aobut the bluebells, but I could have sworn it was you that thought she'd killed some. It must be my age!

I DID get about six feet of pea row planted yesterday. I'm using the "Lasagna" method this year because it's supposed to be easy. I'm not sure I quite have it figured out. First I had to rake the weeds and onions and other disgusting leftovers that didn't get pulled last fall, out of the garden. Then, I dragged half a bag of peat moss about 100 feet from behind the house where it had gotten very water logged over the winter to the small pile of well rotted manure. Then, I had to mix the two together. I hauled a 5 gallon pail of water and very wet newspapers down, layed them out, used the bucket to haul the mixed peat and mulch across the garden - had to plant on the opposite side because they were on the near side last year - and finally, after all that had 6 feet of row ready to plant. I just barely got the peas in the ground before exhaustion took over. On the bright side, I didn't have to spade anything. Stan was off buying a new $600 dollar motor for the silo unloader. He'd put a new breaker in the electrical box earlier, but that hadn't made any difference - it still kept kicking out.

When I came in, I decided to put the facings on the blouse I'm working on. After about the 83 rip out, Stan came in, said he wasn't sure that it had been the old motor after all, it might have been that the new breaker was bad and then he looked at the calendar. "Hey, it's Friday the 13th!" We both figure things will get better.

The silo undoader did work last night - Stan changed cords - and the guy that we buy milker equipment from stopped and said it probably was the motor and Stan thinks he might be able to fix it. The facing is still hanging there - I thought I'd give it a fresh try this morning.

Gotta love farming - never a dull moment.

Prayers and warm thoughts to everyone,
kathleen