Digging in the dirt

Today I was able to get out and start digging in the garden. I have been waiting for this day. I didn't do a lot ( afternoon milking comes too fast) but I did get a row worked up and will be planting peas in it hopefully tomorrow. Our raised beds are built and hubby says he will fill them tomorrow and I will plant the rhubard. We were out getting the cows in and decided that in one part where the cows go that no grass grows has the very best dirt and that is what will be going in the beds. It is already pre-fertilized for me.

I got an e-mail saying my pear trees have been shipped. This is my first at planting fruit trees ( well trees of any sort really) so I hope I don't kill them. My youngest son just loves canned pears.

I see a few dandelions popping up. Most people think ugh but last year I was flipping through my Encyclopedia of Country Living and came across the recipe for dandelion jelly. I figured what do I have to lose since they are all over the lawn so I made a small batch. At first I was quite skeptical especially when I was cooking the blossoms in the water. It didn't smell like anything I would be eating but after it was all through and the jelly made we actually liked it, especially my husband. He told me I have to make more this year than last year, he loves it on toast. So it looks like I will soon be doing that. I told my sister in law I would be stealing them from her lawn because her lawn gets to where it is completely yellow and she doesn't have any animals. I wonder what people think when they drive by and I am sitting in the lawn cutting the tops of dandelions with scissors?

I even mowed a part of my lawn today that gets thicker than the rest and was able to give fresh grass clippings to the chickens. The quite enjoyed their treat. We do have some chickens that roam free in the day but I cannot let them all because the road is right by the barn and some people drive like mad on our road so chickens in the middle of it wouldn't be good. The few that roam now have to be hurried out of it at times.

Can't wait for tomorrow to get out there and get more of my to do list accomplished!