farmer Katherine

Yesterday morning was the beginning of Will's (and therefore everyone's) spring break. After a slightly frenzied day of driving and unpacking, I awoke to sunrise on the farm. Tim can only be here for a few days so if I wanted him to till part of the garden I had to get cracking. By 8am I had 8 holes dug for my new fruit trees coming later this month, the compost bin dismantled (4 wooden pallets connected with hook and eyes) and all that black gold evenly distributed onto each hole (nothing will work up a sweat like digging up sod and rocks), and 6 perennials transplanted to their permanent bed.

 Tim then moved the huge pile of manure and wood shavings a small farmer has been delivering all winter onto the garden and tilled in the future home for my raspberry plants while I worked with several children on their schoolwork. An hour or so carved out for lunch and running, Charlie rode 7 miles on his bike right behind me, and while I mapped out my errand strategy. I don't know how, but I just can never seem to catch up on all the things that need to be fetched or purchased each week. Mary and Julia Ellen ran 11 errands with me in Bangor, from getting my eyebrows waxed (hadn't done that in 8 months!) to picking up soil amendments at the farm store. 

Luckily today's agenda involves less driving, but not any less digging. I've a whole flower bed in front of the porch that last fall I covered with cardboard and wood chips to prepare for shade loving perennials. I want our place here to look more like a home and less like a construction site, but that involves lots of work. The sun is already peering between the trees outside, I better get out of my jammies and get cracking.