Got the chicks outside into chicken tractors (not yet mobile). The kids loved the transition, and it was good to get them out of the barn. Ever more time spent on planting. Took the MG garden tour at the end of the month and was inspired to ever greater heights. Our battle with the ground squirrels begins. Mushrooms popping up all over–no big deal when something started digging them up, if only it had stopped there.

Eric prepped and planted a huge swath of oil sunflowers–even bought a seeder–hoping to get a good idea whether it would be feasible to grow them at our altitude in sufficient  quantity to press for bio diesel. As the seedlings emerged, each little leaf was neatly nipped off. Soon, his pristine planting was a sea of cut off plastic juice bottles, tin cans, plastic netting–to no avail. Eventually we gave up. Eric’s thousands were reduced to a couple of dozen gnawed plants. If only it had stopped there.

Our trees set their first fruit  and we were wildly excited–apple, peach, cherry. Knowing we’d thin most, we still hoped to sample one or two bites.  Day by day, the tiny green fruits disappeared.  Then the melon leaves, the broccoli, the lettuce….