Hello all,

Just checking in to see how everyone is getting ready for spring and furthering their "homesteading activities".

We planted seeds this week and the lettuces, spinach, peas are coming up beautifully. Once they're big enough to transplant, we're taking them to a neighbor since we probably won't be here when it's time to harvest, but we still had an urge to garden, so... We did : )

We made butter (shaken in a jar) and honey wheat bread this week, and the kids loved it, so we're going to try yogurt, then cheese next : )

Our Nubian doeling (the first born here) is growing like a weed and the other does are doing well. Delilah (the head doe) decided I wasn't paying enough attention to her the other day and bit into the joint on my pinkie. It bled like crazy, and now our 22mo. daughter tells us and everyone else she sees, "Delilah BITES!" I guess that'll teach me to let the goats nibble on my fingers : )

What's everyone else up to?

-- Kristin, in La. (sevenstonestile@earthlink.net), February 21, 2002

Answers

Hello Kristin in La. I know what you mean by the need to garden, to sprout the seeds even if you won't be there to harvest. It is not spring otherwise. My tomato plants are 3 inches tall now but only get kitchen window (south) light for now. We usually get too hot too early (Texas) for peas to do well and no one likes them but me. Last year the bunny rabbits ate down the okra so they will have to go inside the protective fences this year. Just about to get the new beds finished and new soaker hoses down. Otherwise, the plants never do well around here, especially the tomatoes. The best to you!! Nita

-- Nita Holstine (nita@phancypages.com), February 21, 2002.

Hello, I too have the urge to start gardening!LOL I started part of my tomato seed last week and more yesterday. I fertilized part of the orchard and replanted three fruit trees, that died last year! Pruned the peach trees! Cleaned out the Bluebird houses. Put together two new bee hives, 4 supers and 75 foundation frames. I ordered more bee keeping equipment and treated the bees for mites/beetles! I still don't have chickens or goats but we are getting closer to that dream!!

Happy spring!!!

Our calves are really growing--they are the cutest little things I have ever see (well almost the cutests):)!

-- Debbie T in N.C. (rdtyner@mindspring.com), February 21, 2002.

Heiio well spring that sure sounds great. Here 12 miles off lake superior in MI,s U.P. we all put our plows back on our trucks. The big lake gave us a foot of new snow yesterday keeps them sled heads happy.thers oh 3ft. of snow in the yard and oh 5ft. or so in the woods, so tapping trees is still out. On the warm days +30,s to oh one day it hit 50 man do my hens lay great.And is it nice to not frozen eggs.And the garden well we have a great green house in town.I will start tilling oh mid may,then the first things will go in the last week of may,THEN june 1 evreything eles bang.And start praying for a warm summer up here days in the 80,s are hot. Oh looking out the window righ now even pulling weeds sounds great . so I hope the sun shining on your neck of the woods bye Jimbo

-- James lewis (jtbutcher30@hotmaol.com), February 22, 2002.