Bales!

This morning I slept until 9:15.  No, really.  I don't know how I managed it but it sure made the morning short.  I picked up the big van at DS's around 10:30 and drove over to the garden center where there was a single bale on the pallet.  *sigh*  I loaded it up on my wagon and stopped to call another nearby nursery to see if they had any bales.  They didn't, but when putting my phone away I saw a nice big pile of bales across the yard.  So I dragged my wagon over, picked out three bales, paid, and headed for home.  I am so glad that there's room to drive around the house to the back yard.  It makes unloading heavy things so much easier.  It occurred to me that last year's bales hadn't composted as much as the previous year's bales so instead of buying six bales I only bought four.  Saved $14.  I drove a couple stakes and wrapped the third row of bales in chicken wire, then used a pitchfork to transfer all of last year's leavings into my fenced area and tamped it down.  I'll plant potatoes, onions, and garlic in there.

I was surprised and pleased that I managed to lever the new bales into place between last year's stakes.  It took some maneuvering and grunting and shoving but they're in there and the soaker hose is laid on top.  This year I decided to put two lengths of hose down each row to see if that lets me grow herbs better.  And I put the Day 1 fertilizer on the bales and watered it in since I'm getting such a late start due to April's awful weather.  It'll almost be the end of the month by the time the bales will be ready for planting but that's okay.  Better late than never.  I'm finally confident enough that it isn't going to snow again so I got the lawnmower out of the shed and put the snowblower in its place.  Fingers crossed.



The mint that I planted along the timber edge of the garden has spread under the bales and is popping up between the rows.  I don't mind, it makes it smell nice when I'm working in the garden.  I was surprised to see that the oregano didn't freeze over the winter and is coming up.

 
When I was moving the lawnmower I saw a chipmunk dart out of a hole behind the brick facade of the house and the foundation.  Hopefully it's only sheltering behind the bricks and not finding a way into the basement.  Time to call someone to get that hole filled in.




This robin had a wonderful bath while I sat resting on the patio.



 


I knitted on the May Seamen's Cowl tonight after supper with my feet up feeling my muscles complain about the work I made them do this afternoon.





And that's it.  I didn't write the prompt last night or this morning or just now.  I'm tired and it's time to go to sleep.  Nighty-night.
--Barbara