And so it begins...

...our garden. The watering, tending, weeding, etc.

We've abandoned the idea and process of starting seeds indoors years ago. We prefer directly planting in May. Though we love harvesting and eating our vegetables and herbs, we're in no hurry.

Most everything has been planted. We still need to get our hands on a horseradish root, and we've still got to plant our herbs.

This little girl is beyond happy to be outside barefoot in only a dress. She lives for this weather, being outside, rolling around in the dirt.

Hard at work

We're busy here: writing, reading, creating, playing, foraging, and planting!

Spring Equinox.

Spring is so magical, isn't it? I still find it so, even as an adult. The first dandelion greens, nettles, violet leaves, and flowers sprouting up are so uplifting. We begin collecting and eating fresh, wild plants and best of all our work in the garden will be beginning soon. We abandoned starting seeds/plants indoors years ago, and much prefer to plant in the ground, though we harvest later. One of Alice's favorites will be first...probably next week: peas! 

Happy Spring everyone!

Our Spring nature table, curated by Alice.

I don't know about you, but the Spring Fairies visited our house :)

Drawing

Hands down, the best part of this winter (besides adopting Mango & Rainbow--see previous post) has been watching Alice's drawing abilities develop. 

After getting her a set of her own skinny markers, she has been into drawing ALL the time, even when she's mad, which is great. 

We watched her scribbles turn to blob-people, and now she even draws cats and people so detailed they have shoes and hair clips. It's amazing how rapidly her perception of people has transformed over such a short time. 

"A girl sitting"

"A girl holding a treat for her two cats with ants on her skirt."
Notice the word "TACO" in pink? That's what she wants for dinner she says.

Mango and Rainbow

After my sister adopted a cat this winter (and we visited the local twice over February vacation with her) we decided it was time for our own family cat.

We visited a local shelter and the second cat I held was our Mango (he was named Casper at the shelter) and I held him like a little baby and he purred--I fell in love and knew instantly he was my cat. 

However, little did I know that the whole time I was holding Mango Alice was eyeing a scrawny, sad little calico cat named Rainbow.After we filled out the application for Mango and we talked about taking him home Alice started bawling her eyes out. She fell in love with Rainbow--she wanted to take home and take care of scraggly, little Rainbow. I felt so guilty for not consulting her first. 

Obviously, we had to take little Rainbow home, too. We put Rainbow's name on the application too.

We let Alice name them both. For short their names are Mango & Rainbow, but their real names are Sir Arthur Treasure Mango & Lady Morgan Rainbow Diamond.

That's what happens when you let your four year old name the family pets.

So that was how we ended up with two cats instead of one. And really, what's the difference? 

We love those two cats beyond measure and can't imagine having one without the other.

Swords and Castles kind of day...

In the garden, August 28

School (double school: work & graduate classes) begin very soon for both my husband & I...and so our time in the garden begins to dwindle. If one day we become a homesteading family with only one of us working it will be possible to tend and care for a garden into the fall, but alas, we are not there yet and will have very little time to devote to this space that needs much attention and care.

I will miss the carefree, warm afternoons with dirt between my toes and Alice playing with mud and buckets of water. Not having to check the time or worry about the next meal or getting ready for the next day. 

Ah, summer, I miss you already.

In the garden, August 23

In the Garden, June 29

So many weeds! And a sun tent set up today.

Beautiful chicory 

Motherwort adorned with bees

See our first zucchini?!

Sunflower hat

Nasturtium flowers

Cilantro, kale, chard, then tomatoes in this row 

Broccoli ready for eating

 

Airing out our tent

An afternoon in the woods...

Yarrow

Goldenrod

Queen Anne's Lace or Wild Carrot

Wood Sorrel

Some fun in the mud & stream