Lots of pics–will take a while to load–but it’s worth it!

It’s been six months since my last post. Where does the time go!!! So–what has happened in the last few months? Snow…we had a white Easter–no egg hunt for the kids, but the hills are blushed with green–the threat of wildfire has dropped to moderate (from one day to the next, we’re back at high risk). My tulips and dafs are finally out, and I saw my first hummingbird of the season today. The fruit trees are flowering–in between freezes–it remains to be seen whether we’ll get any fruit set. I’m putting out a biological grasshopper bait, an organism that attacks only hoppers, in hopes the apples will get to keep some leaves this summer. Time to hook the windmill back up. For the second time, I tried to screw the pull rod in before the clamps came off. Luckily Israel was home, and he and Aly came to help us disassemble the rods so Wink could address their new spaghetti like configuration.

Hard to get much done when the weather doesn’t cooperate; on the other hand, sometimes you just need a play break.

Throughout the winter we tried to find indoor projects–we put a door on Anna & Eric’s bedroom–’bout time. Wink planed our own pinon pine into beautiful planking, then overlapped them in a very artisanal way–looks great–lots of help from Gilly. Also did some finishing around the door frame, and debarked some ponderosa pieces and fitted them between the roof beams to experiment with a ceiling finish.

It’s been a furry season. Junie tried on Wink’s new hat, and ….

Charlie got a new roommate.

We sifted charcoal out of the woodstove ashes (on windless days only) to add to the soil when we got the new raised beds in.

The pantry was begun…

and finished…

I ordered way too many packages of seed on the assumption that all the beds would be in. When it became obvious that the big greenhouse wasn’t going to get built in time, Wink designed a mini greenhouse. We’ve been delighted at how well this little unheated lean to has worked. Two layers of plastic has enabled it to stay above freezing with only a candle burning at night during the worst weather. I’ve already started setting out the hardier bedding plants even tho we could still have freezing weather till mid May.

Students from the UNM sustainability program volunteered several times this spring, helping us put in four raised beds, and work on the forestry project. They all seem fascinated by what we’re doing out here. Eric has been a guest speaker at their class.

Many thanks to Professor Maggie Seeley, and Sustainability 134!!!.

When she’s not working up here with us, Gilly has moved to a new job managing a Papa John’s Pizza. She’s enjoying it much more than her previous job. She has lots more free time, and has been able to direct some of her energy back to her film work, and had a gig for a couple of weeks last month! She lives in ABQ with Anna & Eric, and has the childcare hours to prove it!

Anna & Eric’ big project has been to get their house ready to be listed. They’ve put a lot of time, money, and energy into that little house, and hope the current economic conditions won’t hurt too much. Keeping a house and garden neat enough to show with two small children named Chaos and Entropy underfoot is not easy. And Eric has had to move all his bio diesel gear to a co-dieseler’s garage.

Aly has started a vermicomposting business with Israel. After some fits and starts, she’s getting ready to do a home & garden show. She also brings me wonderful cuttings from her other new job at the garden center. They’ve been clearing out and pruning some old beds–photinia, red twig dogwood, roses–lots of new cuttings in my mini greenhouse!

The show was a great success. Aly & Israel sold all their worms, and took orders, too. They’ll be at the Kite Festival at the Wildlife West Nature Park, May 2-3.

She also brings me wonderful cuttings from her other new job at the garden center. They’ve been clearing out and pruning some old beds–photinia, red twig dogwood, roses–lots of new cuttings in my mini greenhouse!Bruce helped plant and water the cuttings. With good help things only take twice as long!

With the warmer weather, we can’t keep up with all the chores, so if you don’t hear from us well…also we’re experiencing new phone difficulties. Are trying to get a landline in, but we have to dig a trench two feet deep, and a half mile long–through rock…

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