'Tis the season

Salad season is here!! Our over-wintered spinach has done an excellent job of tiding us over until the spring greens start to take off, which is now. Everyday, at least one meal consists primarily of a giant salad so fresh you can almost feel the enzymes coursing through your body! (In honor of Phil :) In addition to our planted greens, we have also been utilizing wild plants as a regular part of our diet. Joe is quite the innovative cook and recently he's concocted some delicious dishes of sauteed mustard and chickweed greens. The young green briar shoots are starting to emerge, and the ramps we planted at the spring last year have been a delightful addition to potato soups. Eating wild food is all the excitement of gardening without the work! :)

'Tis also the season for hammocks. As delightful as hammock season is, it can be quite dangerous. Hammocks must be related to black holes, because large blocks of time have been known to disappear without a trace when hammocks are involved. It is all too easy to climb in a hammock for a "quick break" only to discover that an entire hour has gone by in what seemed like only a few minutes. The hummingbird feeder only adds to the temptation as the hammocks give you a front row seat to a mesmerizing show. Some serious battles are fought over that feeder. I'm almost thinking I need to put up a second one or else blood might be shed. As cute as they are, hummingbirds can be surprisingly vicious!

And now, a few random photos to celebrate the return of the camera. :)


Yum!!! Aren't you glad I found my camera? ;)


Foxy working on his tan.


Last month the hens laid 92 eggs!!! They have a morning ritual of gathering around the "water hole".