Family Friday: The Trampoline Relocation Program

This year February went out like a lion for us. I suppose it was shielding March, who usually gets blamed for that kind of weather. Last week, there was a particularly windy day. Nutmeg was barking all day long so I didn't pay her much attention. After I clocked out I was standing on the porch, talking on the phone and watching Nutmeg sniff a tarp that had been laying on our trampoline. About five minutes later I thought, did that fall off the trampoline? and then I thought, hey, where is the trampoline? 

We had two heavy duty anchors on that thing. The anchors were still securely in the ground. The straps were not attached though. I didn't even bother looking around wondering where it went. There is almost always a Northeastern wind blowing across our farm, and since we put the trampoline together we made jokes that one day we would just come home and the trampoline would be down the hill in the creek. We were right. Jamie and I followed the path the trampoline had taken down the hill and were able to find all seventy-two springs along the way. That's a good thing. You wouldn't want to hit those with a bush hog. 

Apparently the wind did not read the warning label. It says right on it, "Trampoline is not designed to be moved." In other news we have some trampoline parts for sale, if anyone is interested. 

Farm Thursday: Signs of Early Spring on The Farm

Spring has come early on the farm. We are already seeing the yellow and white blooms of flowers and trees. We've been walking around and making plans on where everything will be planted in the next few months. This is still the fun stage. We look forward to it now even though by August we will be fighting over who has to do which outdoor chores. But we won't worry about that yet, Spring is a season of looking forward to the growing season. Abby kitty is looking forward in the picture above. Okay, she's probably looking forward to the bird chasing. I don't like it, but she is a wild animal who lives with us. 

I know I'm looking forward to blackberry season. this is a picture of a bird nest in one of our blackberry bushes. Every time we picked off this bush there was a strange hissing/clicking. We couldn't tell who was making it but we knew it was a warning to back off. Now we know why. I'm glad it wasn't the three foot cicada I was picturing in my mind. 

This picture was taken last week and today the blooms are so thick you can barely see through the tree at all. 

And then the sad picture. If you haven't heard the story, our very first round of trees all perished to the hands of unseasonably warm fall weather and a drought in 2016. The following spring we planted 500 more and at least 400 of those are still alive. The ones in the picture were planted fall of 2017. They were pretty and green until that week of ten degree temperatures in January. We're hoping a few of these will make it, but it's not looking good. From the stories we've heard from other farmers, it seems this is just something a lot of us go through and it's not uncommon to lose most or all of your trees the first few tries. And if Jamie and I are anything we are go getters, to the extent that we are naive about it. So don't worry, we aren't giving up!