Every year we appreciate the spaces we have for growing more and more. This year, as the World faces the Covid-19 pandemic and grocery shopping has become a surreal scene out of a post-apocalyptic movie, that is especially true. Outdoors, we are expanding our vegetable garden to the South side of the house, which used to be a pretty wild hosta garden (be on the lookout for free hosta plants early this spring!). That is giving us the ability to move our tomato plants, put blueberry plants where the tomatoes used to be and expand our pepper planting area. We are also talking about adding a large bunch of poll beans! Indoors, our solarium is bursting with life! Our first hint that spring was about to come was when some volunteer tomato plants decided to germinate in a pot we had filled with dirt from the tomato area of our yard. They are already turning into some pretty large plants! The seeds we purchased have also germinated into some lovely little plants. Our peppers are doing great to! We are looking forward to a great growing season. It can't come soon enough, from our perspective!

Our first three chicks are not even 2 weeks old yet, and they are growing like weeds! It is really remarkable how much bigger they are. Their primary, secondary and tail feathers are growing in beautifully! These are Buff Orpington chicks and this week we get 2 Speckled Sussex chicks. We are hoping they get along well. Both are very quiet, social and docile breeds, so they probably will. FIngers crossed!

Our Buff Orpington chicks have finally figured out what a dirt bath is. A few days ago, we added this pan of dirt to their brooder (complete with some worms from our worm composting bin!). We have heard about how much chickens and chicks love to take dirt baths. It turns out to be true. It just took them a while to figure it out! They can sure make a mess while doing it, but they look like they are having a ton of fun!