Just been thinking of a few things I would LIKE to get done this spring and was wondering what the rest of you hope to do. For example, I would like to wallpaper my bathroom, finish off the family room in the basement (so I can put the treadmill, etc. down there), put up a fence around my raspberries this time to keep the horses out, expand the fence for grazing, add to my rock garden on the sandy hill, try AGAIN to conquer the weeds along the steep hill by the garage, and ON and On we go. What are some of the things you HOPE to accomplish? Maybe it'll give us an insentive to try it also. Thanks!

-- Pat (mikulptrc@aol.com), February 25, 2001

Answers

I want to build an at home weather station and maybe get the ball rolling to get my sons school hooked in as a satelite weather station for our local news weather center via the net. That way we could have "pinpoint" forecasts, since the school is less than 3/4 a mile away.

-- Jay Blair in N. AL (jayblair678@yahoo.com), February 25, 2001.

Emily and I, Hope to BE on our farm this spring, If we are there we have several projects in mind, One: Put up dog pen (Before we move in of course) two: Make rabbit cages and suspend them from the barn rafters, show rabbits and meat rabbits, three: Make a poultry pastering enclosure for our future broilers and some sort of coop for the laying hens, four: plant a really basic garden of tomatoes and sweet corn, some herbs, and maybe some greens for the hens to enjoy thru the fall and winter. If I get all that done I will have accomplished a ton. Now for the House...... You get the Idea. Love yo Lots Susan and Emily

-- susan n' emily (animalcrackers55@hotmail.com), February 25, 2001.

Lets see..first thing is to build a small barn if it ever stops raining and dries up some!! Then onto the front porch which needs to be torn down and replaced, new side and back steps, paint every ceiling in the house, start an orchard, plow up section of pasture for new garden area, burn brush piles, add on to hen house, shampoo all carpets, lower the backporch ceiling and add more insulation there, move mailbox. Thats a start I think.

-- Lynn(MO) (mscratch1@semo.net), February 25, 2001.

Well, this spring has so many future projects and i can't seem to begin to think about them. It snowed here about another 8 inches on top of another 8 inches from friday on top of about 2 1/2 feet from who knows when!! We are new to Maine and I guess anyone from Maine or anywhere else it snows constantly are laughing alot. I am from N.J. and the snow usually melts after 1 day. Well, we have ordered the seeds and the orchard trees to add to our semi existing orchard, we have to find a way to plow our 15 acre field for garden/pasture without any form of machinery, or equipment, or horses or anything. We have to learn alot on...saving seeds , greenhouse gardening, birthing baby cows, goats, cheesemaking, starting pigs, turkeys(we've done those two already but it seems that living in a different climate changes everything) I feel that we are going to be overwhellmed when the snow finally melts and springtime is actually here. Yes, we have many plans for spring and would it please get here soon!!! Next winter I am definitely going to get a serious project that has me really busy because this transition winter for us is really rough. Anyone else out there really really have cabin fever? Milking a cow and tending to two goats and some chickens just doesn't cut it for getting out of the house. Think Spring!!! cara lewis cnllewis@email.com

-- cara lewis (cnllewis@email.com), February 25, 2001.

To Cara Painting is a great wintertime hobby, I use acrylics (cheap and easy way to see if you like painting). Cynthia

-- Cynthia Speer (farmsteader@gvtel.com), February 25, 2001.

We are building a 16x16 two story shed, with Lunatic on the road and out of state 6 days a week, it may take awhile.

-- Thumper (slrldr@aol.com), February 25, 2001.

Hello Pat, As soon as the weather clears we are embarking on the foundation of our soon to be built house. We dug the cellar and the holes for the piers back in the fall. The next step is to pour the pillers for the foundation and build the cellar walls. For the cellar walls I am going to put it a footer of concrete and slipform the walls using Scott and Helen Nearings techniques that they used on their homesteads in Vermont and Maine. Meli and I are doing all the work ourselves without the aid of any construction crews or contractors. Sincerely, Ernest www.communities.msn.com/livingoffthelandintheozarks

-- Ernest in the Ozarks (espresso42@hotmail.com), February 25, 2001.

First thing I have to do, when the snow gets low enough, is put a strand of electric in the goat's new pen so they don't rub against the new woven fence I just put up. Then hook up my newly fixed charger (lightening damaged it) to that and existing fencing. (Horse knew it wasn't working and hooked her foot on the wire and yanked it off) Then I have three more acres that has to be fenced in.

I also started making levels in my back yard, so I no longer killed myself going downhill to feed. I need more dirt to finish it and have to again hit builders in the area.

And last, I'm hoping to have the basement finished by the time spring comes because once I'm outside, it'll never get done!

-- Dee (gdgtur@goes.com), February 25, 2001.

Several moonths ago I bought an old MTD rear tine roto-tiller, come to find out, the shaft that drives the tines is worn nealry through. I started taking it apart yesterday in the shop and the further I get the more it seems it is going to take. I will have to strip it right down to nothing to get the shaft out. I ruined the belt pulley getting that off and I am sure there is going to be a lot more work with the torch before I am done. I thought I was getting a real bargain when I bought it, $35. but now I wonder. I have a tiller for the tractor and one of those little Mantis type tillers, too. Oh well spring is near but still enough cool weather for working in the shop.

-- Hendo (OR) (redgate@echoweb.net), February 26, 2001.

Hendo, Hubby will commiserate with you! He just pulled "my" tractor in to the shed to work on it. It's a diesel Bohlens 18 hp 4WD. We knew it needed a throw-out bearing and a new muffler; from the way he was muttering last night, I got the picture that it's going to turn out to be a bit more than that! Ah well, just hope he gets it done in time to till my berries - it's what my regular and split row tiller mount on, and also what I use to skid logs out of the woods - I'm raring to get out and do some "real" work!

Other plans include building a small (3x3) shelter for my 3 laying hens that I have left from last year, and setting it up so I can attach it to the hoop covers over my beds in the garden so they can do my spring soil prep. Then I'll clear out the big chicken tractor and replace the wire floor with a solid one, cover it over with cardboard and then straw, then put my new chickens in it. We also plan to build a grape arbor/tea house combo and surround it with more raised garden beds for perennial fruits and veggies (and possibly 4 dwarf fruit trees). I'd like to put the chicken tractor permanantly in one place and surround it with raised beds also. We're looking at planting some other fruit trees and raspberries - depending on the $$$ situation.

Of course, there's manure to haul for the garden, and wood chips to bring in for the paths; and the normal mowing, raking and general clean-up too. And getting the garden planted, the rose bushes pruned, and trying (once again!) to propagate some cuttings from my double flowering rose of sharon. And don't forget sneaking off to do a little fishing!!

Inside, I want to hire someone to hang wallpaper in my guest room (much cheaper than a divorce!!) and then I'll take out my old iron bed and have Hubby sandblast and re-paint it. Then I'll sort through all my boxes of fabric and find some fabrics to make a quick tied puff comforter for it - I can cut the blocks at work, then zip them together on the sewing machine on rainy days.

Glad you only asked about spring, Pat!! I'd be worn plumb out if I had to think about summer too!!

-- Polly (tigger@moultrie.com), February 26, 2001.

Here's our list. Replace back gate - Hubby finished it yesterday; plant nut and fruit orchard - trees ordered, some areas are ready for planting; put in new plywood bottoms and sides on dump cart - hubby finished that one last week; put up electric fence for garden - researched price on solar fence setup and found place to buy it, will start in a couple of weeks; set up new chicken coop - just need to finish interior work, i.e. roosts, nesting boxes and fencing - fencing will go up when garden is fenced; paint mural on dining room wall - hubby started it several weeks ago and is coming along nicely; clean up and till dried flower beds to get ready for planting - have been cleaned up just waiting to be tilled but it is too wet; expand to more dried flower beds - plots have been marked just waiting for drying out to till and all seeds have been ordered, some have arrived and will start getting planted in greenhouse next week; build three new compost bins 5' x 5'- posts are up just need to put up side slats. We have quite a list and we have been chopping away at it. Hubby does most of the work because he is home full time. He is so organized this year I can't believe how much he is getting done. His main project is the dried flower beds as that is a commercial enterprise and will generate income.

-- Colleen (pyramidgreatdanes@erols.com), February 28, 2001.

By the time I finish the Spring work, I wonder where the Summer went!

-- Jean (schiszik@tbcnet.com), February 28, 2001.

Polly, Not an answer, but a question,what will your grape arbor/tea house be like? You have definitely piqued my interest!!!

-- Linda Foster (rcfam@csinet.net), March 04, 2001.