Farm and Garden Report - April 23

Just after I wrote the last report, I heard all kinds of commotion out in the pasture. Michael had come up to visit, and was down at Matt and Margaret's when his dog Charlie, a Corgi/Yellow Lab mix scrambled under the electric fence and ran lickity-split up the hill, chasing various sheep and goats as he went along. Actually, it was more of a herding than a chasing, kind of nipping at their heels. I looked up Corgis and they are indeed herding dogs. Tom managed to get the farm animals into the barn and the doors shut, with no harm done. I was reminded of a little over a year ago when Lexi did the same thing. The charge isn't very strong this time of year because the fence needs repair.

The garlic and chives are coming up in the garden, and the chives are ready to eat.

Indoors under the lights, the leeks are thriving, and we just this week planted eight pots of tomatoes.

The woodcock has returned. I think it waited to come back until the snow patches were gone.

Daffodils are up maybe five inches with a hint of yellow buds.

The daylilies are up all over the garden.


One afternoon last week I sat out on the patio reading, and the air was filled with birdsong. There were four wild turkeys eating cracked corn under the feeders on my left, while on my right a little chipmunk had just traveled under our terrace and popped up in last year's leaves in the flower garden. I sat very, very still and watched it run over to the feeders after the turkeys had departed, joining another chipmunk, red squirrels, mourning doves, juncos, and chickadees.

On April 17, the pasture water came back. More about that source here.

Tom saw one bluebird.

For the most part, this has been a pretty usual April. Wind - steady and gusty; snow flurries - a little accumulation that melted the next day; rain - often mixed with sleet; and a little sun. Not much warmth this year but I'll take it. Last April was way too hot for me, and the ticks were out early in the month. Haven't seen one this year, so far.

In the spring I have counted one hundred and thirty-six different kinds of weather inside of four and twenty hours.

Mark Twain