Spring Has Sprung!

 Dear Friends,

We have been watching in great anticipation as our magnolia tree began unfurling its fuzzy buds, wondering which kind it was. Now we know that it is a lovely, all-white Star variety, and we couldn't be happier! It is close enough to the house to be able to see the birds perched in its branches from our bedroom window upstairs.

Speaking of birds, we are now feeding a flock of nearly 100 goldfinches that have decided that ours is a wonderful place to eat thistle and sunflower seeds.

 They empty the feeders about every other day!

Violets are blooming in our woods, both the regular purple colour, as well as a bi-colored type that is very sweet.

 The seeds we have sown are now sprouting up and ready to be put in the ground. And we are clearing the ground just as quickly as we can!

 The neighbors' cow surprised us by having a wee calf the other day. We wondered why she was bawling all morning! Cows are very interesting creatures, even trying to eat plastic through the fence.



Have a wonderful day!

Love,

Marqueta

Working on the Garden and New Puppies

 Dear friends,

As you can see, we've been busy feeding the local goldfinch population! I've never had a single finch eat from a thistle sock before, but they've emptied out three in the last week, and I had to buy four more today! Did I mention it's expensive? But the little birds bring us so much joy with their singing, it is worth every penny.

We've been working outside when the weather permits, building raised beds and putting in some cold-hardy crops like lettuce, pak choy, arugula, and broad beans.  In the picture below you'll see three of my helpers digging a small pond for a memorial garden in the front. We are going to put lilies around it for our Victoria Lily, who died at birth ten years ago.

We'll be building a rose arbor as well, an fencing it all in so the deer don't come dine on them. We have lots of multiflora roses around the property, so I'm hoping the deer will eat them and leave our nice ones alone. We'll see how my theory pans out!

We picked up some "Craigslist Special" puppies that a person not far from us was giving away, to be future guard dogs on the homestead. We saw a bobcat the other day on the road by our house, and have heard coyotes howling nearby, so good guard dogs will be helpful once we get chickens.

I hope that you are having a wonderful March so far, and enjoying the greening of the spring (if it is where you are!).

Love,

Marqueta