Michael says we are not so much farmers as we are really serious gardeners. Our birds are as much a part of our gardening ethic as our apple trees or the potato patch.

Look at those feathers! Ox (the big guy with sun in his eyes) is about 2 weeks older than the big yellow feller in the background. The two little ones in front of Yeller Feller are the same age as that yellow giant. The size difference is due to bre… — Look at those feathers! Ox (the big guy with sun in his eyes) is about 2 weeks older than the big yellow feller in the background. The two little ones in front of Yeller Feller are the same age as that yellow giant. The size difference is due to breeding. The Yeller Feller is a broiler, and will grow to be about 5 pounds in 5 weeks. The others will grow to be about 3.5 pounds in 14 weeks. Broilers give more meat, but the slower growers are tastier.

We have a bunch (about 40) duck eggs in the incubator. They should begin hatching in about 10 days. In order to have space for the new ducklings, we moved the current flock down onto pasture.

We moved them into their huts right before bedtime so they hopefully would remember their summer routines the next day. And….they all trooped right into their huts on their own last night. Yay! Ducks are smart. Notice how green their grass is. Where… — We moved them into their huts right before bedtime so they hopefully would remember their summer routines the next day. And….they all trooped right into their huts on their own last night. Yay! Ducks are smart. Notice how green their grass is. Wherever we keep ducks seems to have the lushest grass. They like grass; the grass likes them.

Michael finished turning over the garden (except for the sodded-in part next to the fence…more on that another day), leveled it and tilled it. Then he planted 44 potatoes.

We will either have too many potatoes or we will have too few, depending on the vagaries of temperature and rainfall. We hope to control pests by letting our birds into the garden for short bursts. We have to take care because the ducks will devour … — We will either have too many potatoes or we will have too few, depending on the vagaries of temperature and rainfall. We hope to control pests by letting our birds into the garden for short bursts. We have to take care because the ducks will devour certain crops, like cabbage, given the opportunity.

We find that we seem to have enough onions if we plant 800 sets. Most years the yellow onions save the best. This past year the red and white saved better. We eat onions, in one form or another, almost every day. We hope to get the onions in this week.

As I was walking past our vegetable and bird gardens, this vulture sprang up from the road and circled overhead. Both a deer and a raccoon met their ends the night before. It’s all a circle of life (although I refrained from including the carcasses)… — As I was walking past our vegetable and bird gardens, this vulture sprang up from the road and circled overhead. Both a deer and a raccoon met their ends the night before. It’s all a circle of life (although I refrained from including the carcasses) and a warning that we need to set out the raccoon traps.

The trees keep trying to bud out, but so far have resisted the urge. Something about below-freezing temps at night have kept their flowers inside their calixes.

My favorite springtime flower is my youngest daughter, who turned 30 this year. We celebrated, if distantly, on our new deck. Thanks go out once again to my eldest brother and his wife for coming out last summer and helping take the deck from concep… — My favorite springtime flower is my youngest daughter, who turned 30 this year. We celebrated, if distantly, on our new deck. Thanks go out once again to my eldest brother and his wife for coming out last summer and helping take the deck from concept to party central! (And yes, that is some of our rhubarb wine on that table.)