April 1st, 2006

Good evening, everyone.

Got to play on the tractor this afternoon. Cleared the area where the garden and chicken coop will be. I'm a tad over 5' tall, and even with the seat all the way forward and sitting on the edge of the seat, I can barely push the clutch all the way in. (my clutch leg feels two inches longer than my other leg) And the shifter is on the LEFT and the lever to raise and lower the front bucket is on the RIGHT, and I keep trying to change from forward to reverse with my RIGHT hand - and wheeee, up goes the bucket, usually with a cloud of sand into my face *cough* *choke* *cough* *sputter* Also, our tractor has a safety item where, if you get off the seat, it automatically shuts off. A feature aimed at stopping the tractor from running over you if you fall out, I would believe. Only, every now and again, I have to lift off the seat just a little to push the clutch alllll the way in... and the tractor turns off. Then it's my little checklist - put left lever in neutral, but gear in neutral, make sure clutch is in and foot is on the brake and bum is firmly on the seat - turn on tractor and start again - take left lever out of neutral, put into gear, slowwwlllly let out clutch. If right foot is not on the brake, brace it against something so that I am pushed firmly down into the seat. I'm sure the neighbors were having a good show. (I know DH was laughing!) Who needs cable TV - just go stand in the yard and watch Karla running the tractor! Better than front row seats to The Comedy Club :-) ... I am now finding out exactly which muscles in my legs, back, arms and neck that I need to use to run that thing! I think I'm going to add "build a sauna" to DH's list of 1,000,000 things he needs to do this year!

We're going to start fencing off the garden area and, for this year, build 4 raised beds 4' x 8', adding 4 more beds next year and 4 more the year after. That should give me enough dirt to play in (not counting the 1800 linear feet of chainlink that I'm going to cover in morning glories and black-eye peas (I know, I'm pushing the growing season length for black-eye peas here in 6b, but I just CAN'T have a garden without black-eye peas!). I'm going to trade some of DH's labor for a few tractor bucket loads of bovine gold in the next week or so, and start a real compost bin. Thinking of lining the bottom of it with some cardboard that we keep accumulating since the sand drains so well and I don't want to loose all that goodness from the cow presents before it goes into the garden.

Daylily and tree orders have been placed. Tomatoes, bellpepers, basil and marjoram sprouting in the seed tray. Marigolds transplanted, snapdragons hardening off, and the first 8 sugar snap peas are about an inch tall. Forced daffodils adorn the dining room table and the ones on the south side of the daffodil bed are up and budding. North side of the bed is still sleeping, but the promise of spring has been made, and I can't wait to see their yellow blossoms greeting me when I roll in the driveway each afternoon. (Ok, I'm trying real hard to say it's spring, since the nights are still in the 28*F range. )

Of course, the promise of spring means that the Jack rabbits have already started their reproductive explosion. Babies who haven't learned how to cross the streets are becoming breakfast for red-tailed hawks who cruise the highways for easy meals. Canadian geese have returned to the lake - I can hear their honking in the early morning stillness. I heard ducks the other day, too. ... chickens, must be time to order chickens!

Ok, done rambling, now :-)

Enjoying every aching muscle minute of my bountiful blessings and wishing you all more blessings than you can count. You all have a wonderful weekend.

Karla