WV State Fair

This past weekend we had our first trip to the WV State Fair. We spent the majority of our time in the llama barn, but we had a lot of fun with the llama show and the rest of the fair!

We started off bright and early Friday morning with the performance classes. Showmanship was first. Vivian showed in the sub junior class. Lydia and Nolan in the juniors, and Kellen in the intermediate.

Next were the fun classes. This really was a fun show. The pack, PR, and obstacle classes were all movie themed. The theme for the pack classes was "Robin Hood." Part of the course was "stealing" juice boxes and putting them in your pack. Lydia asked the all important question, "Do we get to keep them?" They did. Here Nolan is running out of the forest to hide in the cave from the Sheriff.

The Public Relations course was "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe" themed. Here Kellen is taking some "Turkish delight" at the end of the course.

The theme for the Obstacle Course was "Pirates of the Caribbean." I wish I would have gotten better pictures of this. There was a mist hose they had to walk through and after their sword fight and walking the plank they had to walk through water. Many of the llamas wanted nothing to do with that, including Lydia's Bella and Nolan's S8ter. They got wet feet for nothing. Kellen had no problem with L'Oreal and the water though.

The highlight of fun at the llama show was the costume contest! Crazy funny llamas and handlers!

Friday was a very long but fun day. Saturday was a shorter day with fewer and quicker moving classes. After we finished, the kids rode rides for a few hours. We went back to the hotel for dinner and swimming with the intentions of going back to the fair for fireworks. We were all sound asleep by 9:30. Sunday we walked around the fair for a few hours in the morning before gathering our things and heading home.

Busy Summer

This was supposed to be our summer to catch up, to get things into order, and work on projects here on the farm. Apparently, it wasn't meant to be. It has been a crazy busy summer. It has been good, but we've been busy off the farm instead of on the farm.

This summer's project was The Wild Ramp. We are so excited for this store to be open in Huntington. In the long run it is going to be a fabulous resource for us, but this summer it occupied far more of our time than we ever thought it would.

Here we are at the end of July. The kids have had llama shows. Kellen is currently gone at CTY, a three week camp, and Tim is neck deep in his busy season of work. August is jammed packed with another llama show at the WV State Fair, visits to Grandma & Grandpa, and I may want to start thinking about school. Oh my head is spinning.

I haven't even started canning. We got a good early start on the garden, but then kind of stalled. We've been enjoying eating out of the garden, but are just getting ready for canning. We trellised the tomatoes Florida weave style this year for the first time. I like it! Some of the rows are too close together, but this trellis works wonderfully! Keeps the plants supported and the tomatoes off the ground.

We had a horrible hot dry spell. The first planting of beans has not produced anything. This is a second planting. Hoping for some good production!

The first planting of corn is almost ready. This is Cherokee White Eagle. It is the tallest sweet corn I've ever seen. In fact, it may be the tallest corn of any type of I've ever seen! It has held up remarkably well through the windy storms we've had this summer! We'll see how it tastes.

This summer hasn't gone quite how we had planned, but it is all good. Those projects aren't going anywhere. They will be right there when things slow down a little.

Derecho

Der what?


I had never heard the term derecho  until one passed through our woods, and a few neighboring states. I've heard it described as an on land hurricane.  Wikipedia defines it as "a widespread, long-lived, straight-line windstorm that is associated with a fast-moving band of severe thunderstorms."

Tree broken in half.

Nine days ago in the late afternoon the kids and I could see a storm coming. We could see the black sky. I was hopeful for the rain. When the wind started the kids and I ran out to put up vehicle windows. We had new piglets and headed down to the pig house to be sure they were secure. That was when the real wind began.

The winds were fierce. We could hear trees falling. We saw trees snap in half.  The wind swirled up the hill toward us from the hollow below. You couldn't tell which direction the wind was coming from. The kids thought it was great. I was a little scared.

The wind of the storm didn't last long, maybe fifteen minutes. Following the wind was nice steady rain. After the storm passed, it was eerily calm.  The calm was only in the weather. The storm had left chaos in its wake.

The calm after the storm.

Tree on the fence

We were fortunate. We counted roughly a dozen trees down along the driveway and around the buildings. We didn't even attempt to go out and look at the rest of the wooded property. The only damage done was to some pig fence. Our electric went out during the storm. Tim was driving home from work during the storm. It took him hours and several tries to make it   up to our ridge and home. Trees were blocking every road, and he ended up helping a group of neighbors to clear one of the trees so he could finally get through.

The storm damage was widespread. The power outages were everywhere. Our power was out for five days. There are many in our state who still do not have power nine days later. No power plus a grueling heat wave makes for a lot of grumpy people.

We fared well. We have a generator. So, no food losses. We were able to cook on the outside cook stove and grill. The generator will power quite a few things. The first day Kellen figured out how to hook up the wireless router. You know, because internet is a necessity. Well, at least to a 13 year old. Our kitchen counter became the charging station. We charged our phones, kindles, and the kids' DS. You see the other "necessity" we had to plug in; the coffee maker. I ran the vacuum. I used the washing machine. We just couldn't use everything at the same time.

charging station

It was hot. Thankfully most nights it cooled off significantly. We were able to open the house up at night to cool it off, and shut it down during the day. It was tolerable.

We also found we aren't quite as prepared as we could be. We were caught with low supplies of propane and gas. We were able to go out and purchase these. That may not always be the case. We never lost water, but many did. We have a rain collection system we use for animals and gardens. We need to be able to purify that water for our use. If this happened in the winter, we'd be scrambling to keep the house warm. Must get our wood burner in. I'd love to pick up a wood burner with a cook top.

So that was a derecho. I hope we never meet again, but we can say it was a character building experience. It was a good learning tool. I hope all my friends who are still without power get it back soon!

Never a Dull Moment.

Kellen's revelation.

Only Nolan

If you've been around this blog for long, or know us personally, you're probably somewhat acquainted with the drama that is Nolan. With Nolan there is no middle ground. If he is tired, he is so tired that he can't even walk. He has to plop down right then and there.

If he is bored, look out world because he will push your every button just looking for a little reaction. A little reaction of course isn't enough he just keeps pushing until he makes you down right angry.

If he is hungry, everything must stop (or so he thinks) until he acquires sustenance. He can't be a little hungry. He is starving. And if he is really starving....

The other day Kellen stayed home with Nolan while I did some running. Around lunch time Nolan tells Kellen, "What is for lunch? I'm starving." Whatever Kellen answered did not satisfy. Nolan continued, "No, I am starving. Not American starving. I am African starving."

He sure makes things interesting around here. Gotta love him.

Llamas Llamas Llamas

This spring we set out on a new adventure, llamas. No we didn't get any llamas, but our wonderful 4-H leader is the owner of Head and Heart Fiber Farm, and she is allowing the club members to train and show her llamas this summer. The kids have been working hard learning about llamas, training them, and learning about showmanship for the last month.

Last weekend was their second show. They all did so well. The three older kids showed in showmanship, obstacles, public relations, and pack classes. Vivian showed in showmanship and obstacles.

L'Oreal decided she needed a break while the judge did a little paperwork during Vivian's showmanship class.

Nolan and Sk8tr are best buds.

Lydia and Lady Bella. Second in showmanship

Kellen who claims to not like llamas all that much. Huh?

We brought along friends and cousins to this show too.  We all had a lot of fun. The show went late into the night. Annie's son went to the van to sleep. Nolan conked out in the grass for a little bit, but we all still had a great time!

Featured at WV Farm 2 U.

Photo credit: Beth Rankin

Well yes, we are still here. And no I haven't forgotten about this blog. Getting gardens  and hay in, and farmers' markets are keeping us super busy.  Our farm has been featured at the blog for WVFARM2U. Check it out, Farming for the Family.

Chickie Love

How many chicks have come and gone through this farm? Hundreds, but I can't stop being fascinated with them.

I love when they arrive. They are nothing but tiny bunches of fluff; so soft, so adorable. I take each one out of their shipping box, give them a drink of water, and then sit and watch them awhile. They know just what to do. They scratch at the ground. They find the feeders and the heat of the warming lamps.

They grow and change quickly. After a couple of weeks, they have lost some of their fluff. Wing feathers and tail feathers are there instead, but the chicks are still cute. They are still curious, and I still love to watch them.

Yesterday, we moved some 2 week old chicks outside to one of the chicken tractors. I watched for a little while. At first they were a little confused. "What is this place with the strange green floor?" It didn't take them long to figure out that floor contain delicious things like clover, grass, and bugs. Soon they were exploring. One would find a particular treat and start running around while the others chased trying to steal the treat. They discovered the dried grass in the fencing that got stuck after Kellen last mowed, and in typical broiler fashion, they also discovered quickly where the feed was located.

Later that evening, the warming lamps came on and they all congregated near them in the center of the pen. Those lamps also attracted the bugs and soon chicks were jumping and grabbing moths, mosquitoes, and other bugs. Then they'd try to get comfortable under the lights. Just when they found the best place, some other chick would come along and push them aside, or they'd fall off the roost. It really was quite comical, and Tim and I sat there for over an hour watching them. 

In a couple of weeks and they will no longer be so cute and fun to watch. I guess that is a good thing since most of these are broilers. But in a couple of weeks there will also be a new batch of chickies to watch and enjoy. I can't wait.

Crafting at My Speed

 We really have a wonderful and active homeschool community. It truly is a blessing.

This year one of the moms decided to offer the other moms a crafting class while the kids were in their music classes. This is not my strong suit, but I'm adventurous.

Together we made a disappearing nine patch quilt. Well beyond my skill level alone, but with friends it was fun and turned out lovely. We made decorations for a dance. And then we started on rag rugs.

I've always been envious of my friends who can sit and crochet or knit while having a conversation, watching kids or TV, or waiting for an appointment. I've longed to be able to do something productive, creative, and practical during those down times. They all promise me it truly is easy, and I'm sure it is after you get the hang of it, but there is a learning curve involved.

A couple of winters ago I tried my hand at crochet. It was frustrating to me. I finally did get the hang of the basic stitch, and I made a chain. I made a very long crochet chain, and nothing else. That was the end of my attempt.

When we started on rag rugs, I knew this was a craft that was more my speed. No skill involved. No learning curve. No creativity necessary. I loved that it could be made entirely of scraps, as in free! The center of my rug is made from scrap material from my sewing friends. The rest is made from our old clothing that was too worn or stained to sell or give away. Something practical made from things I'd otherwise be throwing away; that I like. The fact that the learning curve is almost non existent is something that I can love.

My first rug was started with our class, and finished during family movies nights. It now resides in our bathroom. It may not be the prettiest rug ever, but I love it.

A Little Nugget that Stuck

We are bombarded with 1000's of pieces of information on a daily basis. The vast majority of it doesn't stay with us, and even less of it actually impacts us. Then sometimes, something small, something that doesn't even seem that important at the time sticks, and later has an impact.

Two years ago I attended our regional homeschool conference with two friends. Talk about information overload. The two things that I learned from the conference; Tim Hawkins is even funnier live, and I loved the Notgrass curriculum. Not to take away from the conference. I really enjoyed it, but those are the highlights two years out. And there was one other tiny piece of information that my friends shared with me.

Mary & Angie's oldest kids are older than mine. They went to workshops about highschool while I just wasn't there yet. I do not remember which workshop or speaker it was they heard, but I do remember they mentioned a program through Duke University for talented kids.

I went home and looked up the information, and some how it stuck with me until the next summer. That year Kellen took the SAT through their talent search. He qualified to participate in their programs, but the programs filled up so fast (as in the day registration opened) that is all we ever did with Duke.

This year I wanted Kellen to take a college level standardized test again. Honestly, I didn't know if there was another way for him to take it except through a talent search (still don't know btw,) I searched google for 8th grade talent searches. I found Johns Hopkins Center for Talented Youth (CTY).

I really didn't expect much from the program. We had gotten excited the year before for Duke's program, only to be disappointed. I expected even less when I went to sign him up for the ACT and realized I'd waited a little too long, and he wouldn't take it until April. But we went forward. He took the test, and we waited to see the scores. They were good; very good.

Late last week, before the scores were even released to us, we got an email from CTY congratulating Kellen on his scores, and inviting him to apply for the three week summer program, and the scholarship for rural students. Tuesday morning, over the phone, he was awarded the scholarship.

We will get more details next week, but this July he will be spending three weeks with other talented students studying one of the class subjects that he picked. I'm so excited for him!

I am so glad that this nugget of information stuck with me! Thanks Mary and Angie for passing it along. I hope too that it might stick for some of you out there with academically gifted kids. We'll keep you updated on the program as we go.

A Perfect Spring Morning

A crisp sunny morning.

Laundry on the line.

The rustle of the wind in the trees, and the hens in the leaves. 

Taking an extra minute to watch 12 piglets and their momma munch on grass. Then watching the whole group race for the barn when they hear the feed bucket.

Seedlings popping through the ground, and strawberries in bloom.

I love this life!

Lessons from the Hen House

Carol Alexander is a fellow homeschooler and homesteader. She has asked me to review her e-book, Lessons from the Hen House. What a pleasure.

Inside this little book you'll find lesson plans to use for your homeschool based on the homesteading (in this case raising chickens) you are already doing. I am a big fan of unit studies and what could be more relevant to a homesteader than a unit study on chickens?

There are lessons for all ages. Math lessons have students figuring sales tax. Science lessons range from dissection to the pecking order. There are language lessons, art lessons, geography, and home economics.

Carol is working on a series of books for homesteading homeschooling lessons. In addition to this ebook, Lessons from the Seed Catalog is also available. These are available at Lessons from the Homestead. She also has a free newsletter available.

Creativity and Inpiration

Once upon a time we lived in a city with smooth concrete places to ride bikes on. We had easy access to flat, well maintained bike paths that once served as tow paths for the Erie Canal. In that other life, bike riding was a frequent extended family event. We'd go out with my parents, my brother's family, and a slew of preteen and teen foster kids. We were all working as house parents at the time.  We were a mixed bag of ethnic groups and ages ranging from toddlers to grandparents. We attracted a little attention when we went out.

Now, we have lots of space, but the paths and roads are far from well maintained, flat or smooth. Learning to ride here has been a challenge for the kids. The adults in the family prefer to get exercise via farm chores, and the oldest child here does not get too excited about riding, as a result the adult bikes are rarely used. They show the neglect.

The middle children love to ride. They take the 3/4 mile trek to the barn as frequently as they can. The youngest child has yet to conquer balance, the gravel and hills. She is often left in tears in the dust of the middle children. Sometimes they do slow down enough so she can run along side of them, but they soon tire of that. I can't blame them.

We still have the trailer and the tandem from that other life, and Vivian would beg Lydia to take her out on those. Lydia's bike however, can not tow the trailer or the tandem. The adult bikes that can were out of commission, and the trailer and tandem need some work themselves. Lydia came up with a creative idea. She just needed the wagon and some bailing twine.

Then yesterday we attended an event where Stacy from A Simple Six brought her cargo bike. Wow what a set up! Be sure to click on the link to her blog for some pictures. She can carry four kids on that bike!

Then this morning all (and I do mean all) the kids wanted to ride bikes. Kellen went out and fixed one of the smaller bikes so Vivian can learn to ride. Then he went to work on one of the adult bikes because he wanted to ride. He and Nolan have been riding all morning, and the three older kids just left for a ride to the barn. Now if we could just get Vivian riding, or talk Kellen into hooking the tandem up to his bike.

I love to see what a little creativity, a little inspiration, and some beautiful spring weather can accomplish.

Worth Getting Up For

I tend to be a morning person, but feel free to share that I was less than thrilled when I woke up at a quarter to six this morning. I was just a bit frustrated when the combination of thinking about a 100 things on my to do list and a chilly house kept me awake at the hour. So, I gave up and set about working on that to do list.

About an hour later, I just happened to glance out the window and was greeted with this sight.

The picture doesn't do it justice. A beautiful sunrise this morning; that is worth getting up for!

I'm Getting Sappy

I saw this picture today, and got a little choked up. Oh my goodness look how adorable and little those kids were! But that isn't what got me choked up. That picture was taken December of 2006. You know, less than six years ago! It seems like yesterday. Six years from now the oldest will likely be off in college somewhere far from home. The youngest will be teetering on the edge of the teenage years. How can life change so fast? Pass the Kleenex. I'm tearing up again.

Enjoying the Journey

Parenting, marriage, life, it is ever changing. I remember in my early twenties thinking how nice it would be when we were finished with school, and settled into our careers and family life. Settled? Does that ever really happen?

Almost twenty years later, and I realize that just when I think I have things figured out, that is when something comes and shakes the things I thought I knew. Sometimes the shaking is devastating, sometimes it is joyous, but it always makes me stop, reevaluate, and realize that I really don't have anything figured out. I think that is by design. Because really if I could figure it all out and control it why would I ever need to depend on God?

The last two years have brought some major shaking, the devastating kind. There have been times that I've been down right angry about everything that has happened. There are other times when I've been completely blessed by the love of friends and family during our grief and pain. Occasionally, I've caught a glimpse of the peace that can only be found in Christ during these trials. Mostly, I've been the walking wounded plowing ahead with the tasks and responsibilities before me.

It seems as though we may have finally come to a turning point. Things seem a little lighter. I don't feel as if I'm taking a punch at every turn. Things aren't they way I might want them in my perfect world, but we're ok. Dad is missed daily. Things will never be the same in our hearts or here on the farm, but we are through the rockiest and saddest of times.

There has been no change in Kellen's eye. We've tried everything the experts thought might help. It didn't help. He still only has peripheral vision in one eye. But we are looking to the bright side. It could have been a lot worse, and he does have full vision with both eyes.

Tim is almost done with his chemo treatments; twenty nine more, I think. While they still give him flu like symptoms, the dosage has been decreased to a level where the symptoms have been tolerable. He has had a couple questionable spots removed. None were melanoma. He is being careful in the sun. He is seeing his dermatologist regularly. By summer he'll be done with the chemo, and back to himself again.

Will life get back to normal now? Well sort of. It won't be the normal we knew two years ago, but it will be our new normal. It won't be the end of pain and hard times, but hopefully it will be a reprieve from them.  More shaking will come. I hope the next time they will be of the joyous variety, but if it isn't we will be alright. We have family. We have friends. Most importantly we have Christ.

I am not looking for a settled life anymore. I don't think there really is such a thing. This life is a journey with ups, downs, and occasionally some smooth spots. All we can do is enjoy it.

Or as my dad might have said, " Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance." James 2:2-3. 

"Home" School

When one is a homeschooler, you might think that they actually are at home a lot. This is not the case with this house of homeschoolers. We have the mixed blessing/temptation of  a very active homeschool community. I try hard to get a good balance of days at home and days out. I'd like to err on the side of days at home, after all we do have plenty of things to take care of at home, but more often I find myself with a calendar filled with activities. Many of those weeks happen when I have things planned, and then other things come up that are too good to miss, or that are out of my control. This was one of those weeks.

Monday the week began with sewing class. It was a basic introduction to the machine and stitches. The kids really seemed to enjoy it. I was thrilled that the boys wanted to take the class. Nolan asked to sew some more when we got home. Guess, I better clear the clutter away from my machine.

We went to the park afterward with friends whom we don't see often. It was a great day. 

 Tuesday afternoon we had band and guitar lessons. Wednesday we had a bug lab. The kids dissected roaches; very large roaches. It was kind of gross, but educational.

The kids (or at least some of them) will be showing Llamas with their 4-H club this year. Wednesday afternoon we went to get the know the llamas and match llamas to kids.

Thursday morning was standardized testing. Today we only had to leave to take Kellen to a birthday party. I tried to catch up from the neglect of the week, and wondered why I was so tired all day.

"Home"schooling huh?  Please don't ask me if my kids' are getting enough socialization. The better question is when do we open the books with all this socialization and education going on?

Animals - Bittersweet

When you've been around something sometimes you assume you know a lot about it. You know what assuming does right?

Dad was the pig farmer. Since he has been gone we've learned that we have a lot to learn about pigs. We've made mistakes that have cost us time, money, and pigs. We completely messed up our breeding cycle, and were at the point that we didn't care anymore when piglets were born, just so some were born.

I can't tell you how overjoyed I was to finally see this Monday morning.

This is a first time gilt bred to a first time boar. I wasn't expecting much. In fact, I was beginning to doubt if we were expecting anything, (we were off on when she was bred) until I finally started seeing the physical signs last week.

This first timer birthed 15 pigs. (Three didn't make it through the first night.) We expect to get at least 8 piglets from each sow. So, 12 is thrilling. There are a couple questionable ones left in the litter, but even those seem to be finding their way to a teat. They are feisty little things. I am watching them closely though.

This gilt was a bit skittish, and I wondered what she'd be like as a mother. She has been incredible careful and gentle with the piglets. She lays a long time for them to nurse. Much to my relief, she has been tolerant of me too. Mother pigs can be fiercely protective to the point that you can't even go near them or the piglets.

Sweet right?  Now the bitter part.

That is a vaginal prolapse. She could have a genetic disposition to this condition. She may have been slightly over weight. Regardless of what caused it, the best we can hope for is to keep it from getting infected (thus the purple from the Blue Kote,) and to let her raise up her litter.  We can't breed her again.

It makes me sad. This is a gilt we picked out of our own stock to keep as a sow. She has done wonderfully with this one litter, but this will be her last litter.

The bittersweet of raising animals. 

The Baby

Monday Vivian turned six. The baby of the family is six. It is bittersweet watching them all grow up.

My brother Jake was down with his kids, and it is always a grand time when the cousins are in for a visit. Per Vivian's request, we celebrated her day by making rainbow fruit kabobs. Before you get the wrong idea, we had chocolate peanut butter cake later in the day.

Before we had kids, we had grand ideas about the things we would and would not do as parents. One of the things on the do not do list was to let the baby be a baby. Well, that worked out great for the first three kids. The baby never had enough time to become spoiled because another baby always came along. And then came Vivian.

Oh yes. She is cute. She is very sweet and loving most of the time. She is a wonderful helper. She also is a bit high maintence. I call her the princess.

I am not sure if she was born this way, or if it is a result of her being the baby, but she is by far the pickiest of all the kids. She is picky about food. Only certain socks meet her standards, and those must be worn inside out. Tags need to be removed from clothes. Jeans are not comfortable. Car seats need to be adjusted just so. When it is time to go somewhere, the rest of us spend a lot of time waiting for her to get everything just so.

She is the only one to ever suck a thumb, and she still has that habit. She enjoys being the baby, and the only one who has actually said she doesn't want to grow up. 

She does have chores, and for the most part is willing to complete them. I realize though that her chores at 6 are far less than Kellen's were at the same age.

How did this happen?

Now, on the other side of six years of having the same baby, it is easy to see how these things happen. Life is busy. Sometimes it is easier to accommodate than to fight, especially when there are three older siblings to help accommodate. When something needs done, it is easier to have an older child to do it, than teach the youngest to do it.

But how do you not baby the baby with a face so sweet and cute?

Yogurt Success

photo from Yellow Suitcase Studio.

My kids love yogurt. No, they really love yogurt. They will eat yogurt at every meal, and between every meal. Vivian and Nolan can kill a large container of it in one sitting. I hate to limit their intake of a good thing, but it must be done. Yogurt isn't cheap, and I also am not thrilled with the added sweeteners and thickeners in  commercial yogurt. In this house it is a treat, purchased only when on sale, and I have some good coupons.

I've tried several different time to make my own yogurt. The results were disappointing. Then I saw instructions for making Yogurt in a Crockpot at Yellow Suitcase Studio.  It was a simple procedure using only milk and yogurt. I figured I'd give yogurt making another try.

It turned out so well! The instructions said to strain it, but I found it thick enough to use without straining. I enjoyed the plain yogurt sweetened with a spoonful of local honey, but I wondered how the kids would react to eating plain yogurt. My worry was unfounded.

I made this yogurt Monday. It chilled in the fridge overnight, and less 36 hours later that crock pot of yogurt is gone. Nolan and Vivian were begging me to make more. Too bad I'm out of milk. Too bad we don't have a dairy animal right now...

Starting to Grow.

The mild winter and the early warm temperatures have me chomping at the bit to get in the garden, play in the dirt, and watch beautiful and delicious thing to emerge from it. My mouth is watering in anticipation of fresh, straight from the garden fruits and veggies.


We are almost to the early garden season, but in the meantime I am biding my time with some preseason growing.

This winter I experimented a little with growing in a hoop house. It was a very simple set up. Our existing raised beds are made from cinder block. We cut conduit to create an arch from one side of the bed to the other. Then covered it with heavy row covers. I'd call the experiment moderately successful.

One problem was I started too late. I didn't plant the beds until mid October. The plants were still tiny when the cold set in. Cool weather plants will survive the cold when protected, but they don't grow. If I had used plastic sheeting instead of the heavy row cover, the houses may have held enough heat for the plants to grow, especially considering the mild winter we had.

We didn't eat a thing out of them all winter, but the plants did survive. The above picture is the spinach. With the warmer temperatures recently, the plants have started to grow again. I also planted some leaf lettuce under the protection of the hoop house.

But the growing doesn't stop there.

I keep reading how you can regrow from the stumps of celery and lettuces. I decided to try it.

I cut the bottom off the celery and stuck it in a small bowl of water. Lo and behold, it grew! Funny thing though, no roots grew. So, I just stuck in some moist soil, and it kept on growing. I have a few of these going, and a couple head of lettuce too. We'll see what happens.

I finally got some seeds going too. I meant to start the herbs awhile back, but.... oh I have lots of excuses. But now, and yes, that is a bathtub you see, the herbs and some head lettuces have been started. If I plant any spring cabbage or broccoli, (I normally do better with those in the fall.) I will be buying plants. Next week, I'll get the tomato and pepper seeds going.

Spring and gardening season will be here soon enough. For now, I'll enjoying the planning, the anticipation, and a little preseason growing.