April 5:  After yesterday and all the activity we just sorta took Sunday off.  Spent most of the day going through the books that I bought.  Might have a hard time deciding which ones I don't want, so far they all have information that I can use.  There are four for sure that I will keep, one is "Botanica" it is an encyclopdia of landscape plants.  Then there is one all about herbs.  One is "Crocket's Flower Garden", it goes along with one of my most used garden books, "Crocket's Victory Garden".  They are both connected with the PBS program from years ago.  The last one that is a deffinate keeper is called "1001 Hints and Tips for Your Garden".  Lots of good stuff in there.  After taking a count I got 17 books in those two boxes.

April 6:  Had big plans for the day, but woke up to plenty of snow on the ground and more coming.  I had a headache, it seems whenever there is a big change in the weather I get one.  Just didn't feel very good.  I did my chores and Husband went to the library to pick up some books he had reserved about hay making.  When he got back we both sat down and started to read them.

Around noon a car came into the drive and a young man got out.  At first I didn't know who it was, but then I realized it was Garret Chase, a student of mine when I was working at Laingsburg High School.  He stops in every once in a while.  He had been out of state for about six months and now was back.  We spent the rest of the afternoon visiting and around 3:00 he left after a good visit.

It was as good a day to waste as any.  More reading, then supper and chores.  I looked for some pictures on the computer for my Daughter and then headed to bed.

April 7:  Good morning, feeling better today.  Hope to make up for lost time yesterday.  Most of the snow is gone.  There are dishes to do, laundry, bread to make, even some cottage cheese to be done, a closet to clean and the front bathroom needs to be cleaned as well.  Let's see if we can make up for yesterday!

Okay, so I didn't get it all done, but I did make three loaves of bread, eight hamburger buns, and two pounds of cottage cheese as well as getting the dishes done and redone.  I did some reading as well.  Much more constructive day.

Husband also started building me some four by four by six boxes for a trial of "Square Foot Gardening".  There is enough lumber in the barn, leftover from a project to build three.  I am not sure where I am going to put all three yet, but I can figure that when I get them.  I am quite excited about this garden idea.  It sounds like it could be a really good way to garden.  We will give it a try and then if it works out like it is suppose to, we might convert our entire garden over.  That would be lots of boxes!

April 8:  I awoke to bright moonlight at about 4:30 AM!  Now at 7:50 AM the sun is pouring in this west window.  It is crisp outside, but with the sun it should warm up some. 

Today is my day out.  Meals on Wheels and then hanging out with the Fiber Gals.  I also have a stop to make at the library to pick up the book "Square Foot Gardening".  I have a soup bone that I am going to put in the crock pot along with some veggies for our supper.

I have one yearling doe who gets her booster shots today, that means she is within a month of kidding.  I don't feel very sure about her being bred.  After examining her very closely, she doesn't have any udder developement and no real tummy.  I am pretty sure that she won't be kidding.  Unless she is hiding it VERY well.  She is just a yearling, so it is no matter.  Her sister on the other hand is a barrel and already has quite the udder, she is still about six weeks from kidding.  This one is a two year old and I wouldn't be able to show her if she isn't in milk.

I got my book from the Library and Husband started reading it.  He had already made three boxes.  They were out on the side yard when I got home.  Now we just have to decide where we want to put them as they are permanet once they are filled with soil.

Quiet evening, chores some TV and some knitting.  I am learning how to carry yarn, without getting it all tangled.  It is taking some practice!  I am hoping to perfect the technique so that I can use it to finish my horse sweater that I started about three years ago.

April 9:  The Poo Pickers are suppose to be here today around 9:00 AM.  Nothing else is planned for the day, but the weather is beautiful, so I hope that we can get some more outside work done.

Let me tell you, the Poo Pickers were here on time and then we did chores and spent the rest of the day working outside.  We started cleaning up our campfire area along with the shade garden that connects to it.  There is a plant that grows there called Meet Me Under the Garden Gate, it reminds me most of Bamboo.  It spreads like crazy!  It has almost taken over the whole area.  We dug alot of it up and moved it to the other side of the garage, where we dug a bunch of holes but didn't plant anything.  If it grows there then fine, I won't have to worry about mowing then.  If it doesn't make it, still no problem.

After spending some time there, we moved to the back patio, which is right off the greenhouse.  There we did some digging and put in some landscape timbers to hold back some soil.  After we leveled the rest of the area, we decided that it would be a good place to put two of our garden boxes.  The fit was perfect.  This way I can plant salad crop right near the house, then when we want fresh salad we can just go out the door and get it.   One of the boxes is also a cold frame, so maybe I can even keep growing stuff well into winter or get an early start in the spring.  That would be great.

Before it was time to start dinner, but after we had finished up outside, we both spent some time reading.  I read the Sqaure Foot Garden book and Husband read his Haymaking book.  Then it was time for dinner prep, I made spaghetti.  We had homemade bread along with it and for dessert we had mandran oranges.

We watched the news and was hoping to watch "My Name is Earl" on TV, but they have messed with the schedual and it wasn't on.  So we went out and did chores.  When I came in I made pop corn and we watched some hockey and other bits of sports until bedtime.

April 10:  Today the plan is to go to town and pick up some groceries and feeds.  I am suppose to be doing the dishes right now, so we can get rolling.  The weather looks nice, so I hope when we get back we can have time to do more outside stuff.

While I was doing some preparation for doing chores, Husband made some phone calls for a supplier for the soil components for the Square Foot Garden.  We need to purchase peat moss and vermiculite.  After a couple of calls he found "All-Par Peat".  They had everything we need in bulk, but we had to get to the factory before noon, as it is Good Friday.

So, while I did chores, Husband got the recycling loaded into the truck since it really needs to be done.  Elsie is on the way to "All-Par", so we will make recycling the first stop, then "All-Par", and then back through Ovid where we can pick up the feeds.

The truck earned it's keep this morning!  Over 1000 pounds in feed and soil.

After unloading, it was lunch time and then we headed out to get the groceries.  This bill was a bit larger then normal, we have both decided to loose some weight, so we are trying to eat more fruits and veggies.  Wrong time of the year to find fresh stuff, so there was lots of canned goods.  Canned fruit should be better then cakes and cookies.  We tried to get fruit in it's own juice.

When the groceries were put away, we did some outside work.  Husband put a second coat of paint on the boxes, while I raked stones from the yard along the driveway.

We had dinner of roasted chicken with a big salad.  Dessert was fruit cocktail.  Then some news, chores, and some TV and then bed.

April 11:  Today I must clean up the scullery and do some baking.  Tomorrow we are heading to Flint to Step Son's for Easter dinner.  I am to bring dessert.  I found a pretty raspberry cream pie thing that I am going to make. 

After baking and chores I hope for more outside time.  This is a really good spring, we are getting lots done in the yard.  In two weeks, I will be busy with kidding then it will be time to plant the garden and I will be mowing lawn too.