Memorial Day Weekend

Lots of progress around here! The deck project is moving. Hubby has been out there all weekend digging holes for the footings. These aren't just little holes either. Currently he's on hole 13 out of 18. The plan is to rent a cart of premade cement and fill the holes, in the next few weekends. I know Sean is looking forward to finishing the digging part of it.

I've been out at the garden hauling mulch back and forth, trying to cover the rows before the weeds overtake everything. So far I think I'm ahead of the weeds. The plants are growing wonderfully.....well except the cabbage. I planted the cabbage seeds and every day I inspect the plot looking for something, anything, that resembles cabbage seedlings. I even Googled cabbage seedlings to know what to look for. Still nothing. I don't have the patience needed to keep looking so I'm tilling up the plot and planting the Spaghetti Squash I somehow forgot to plant. We don't eat cabbage anyways, I planted it for the chickens.

Some of the new plants I'm trying this year are looking promising. The swiss chard are robust little plants which I'm looking forward to eating. Same with the kale. I had to go pick up a new GFCI outlet for the koi pond this weekend and just happened to stroll down the plant isle at Lowes. They have these giant racks in the back full of clearance plants and they all just call to me "Save me!". So I took pity on three, rather healthy blackberry bushes. I've been wanting to add blackberry bushes and I couldn't resist the low $5 price tag. I told Sean every year I want to add 3 more bushes until we have a whole row along the back of the property. Same with the fruit trees. Maybe add two trees each year. Did I mention that my baby cherry trees have cherries on them this year?! How exciting. I'm all for letting the land provide food for me and my family. I've just decided I can't bite off too much or I get overwhelmed, so adding more each year is the way to go for me. The plan is to expand the garden by 5-10 feet each year too.

Sean got the new GFCI outlet installed by the koi pond (we have to put a new one in nearly every year for some reason). So now the waterfall is going again. Greta and I bought three large gold fish for the pond last week. They promptly disapeared and we assumed the Minions ate them. Have I mentioned those cats eat everything? Well when we were getting the pump going I saw a flash of orange so I think they might still be alive. I predict baby goldfish in about 4 weeks.

The kids have been having fun now that school is out. I try to keep them outside but after about half an hour they are whining to go back inside. I keep telling them it's going to be a long summer if they are crying to go inside when it's a lovely 80 degrees outside. While in town I picked up six bags of play sand and filled up their sandbox which seemed to work at keeping them entertained outside yesterday.

I hope everyone is having a safe and enjoyable Memorial Day weekend.