As promised

Here are the first photos of the new chicks. They aren't even a day old yet. I've got some funny combos going and am going to have to credit Number Two, of the Great Rooster Swap, with adding a little something to the gene pool. He's been a very busy rooster by the look of things.

I'm worried about the effect of such fuzziness on the minds of our staff at school. One assistant proclaimed she wanted to marry the first chick. The other started crying when she first saw the wet, rather wretched looking thing in the incubator and said she hoped she loved her baby as much as she loved that chick. In her defense, she is 6 months pregnant with raging hormones.

I'm keeping them in my office until Friday when they can come home and join the writhing pit of free rooster chicks in my studio.

The dirt won't come out from under the fingernails

We spent the whole of the weekend in the garden. A second round of peas has been planted. All the rows are ready for seeds to be sown. Cabbage and brocolli plants have been set and are surrounded by radishes of several varieties - Cherry Belle, French Breakfast and the intriguing Purple Plum. Lettuce has been planted along the garlic. Beets and carrots also went in. I've still got shallots to set (and I'm trying some from seed). The leeks are ready to be set. Our new apples, plum and peach have all gone in the ground. Busy. Busy. Busy.

I spent a good part of a very hot afternoon in the greenhouse potting up all the tomato and pepper plants. They'll be ready to plant in the garden in a couple of weeks. No need to rush them when they have room and a warm spot to grow. I've also got fennel, basil and a bunch of flowers started. It all looks like so much.

As soon as school is out, I'll be able to concentrate on things around here. Chef Boots wants me to grow things for him and then there's the new tailgate market a mile from our house at the community center/fire station. I'm very excited about that. We had a formation meeting last week and that is going to be a fun way to spend my Saturday mornings. Now I just have to figure out how I'm going to fit everything in the garden and read the "egg laws" and try to anticipate what will sell well and drink more coffee...

Keep your fingers crossed for the eggs in the incubator. Today is the day they should start hatching and many eager children are counting on me to bring baby chicks to life (You probably didn't realize I had that super power...). If it should fail, I do have 10 chicks in the brooder already. Do you think they would notice??? I mean, how would they know those weren't the eggs??? No, I wouldn't do that - I promise. I know all won't hatch, but by the laws of probability, some should hatch. This whole hatching and brooding thing is such a fragile process. And the little things are so, well, little; you just don't know what went wrong when something goes wrong. We did lose one of the goslings the day they arrived. When that happens I always lose confidence in my ability to raise the little guys. So seriously, keep fingers crossed until I post a picture of fluffy little chicks that aren't all yellow and all roosters (Anyone need a Salmon Faverolle rooster chick? I have ten...).

New arrivals

5:54 a.m. - "Maggie, this is the post office. Your baby birds are here."

Three Tufted Roman Geese, Four Buff Ducks, and a dozen feather-footed mystery chicks are in the brooder. Spring has officially arrived at Little Creek Farm!

What's goin' on

Let's see...
Potatoes are in the ground - Green Mountain, Russian Banana Fingerling, and All-Blue
Peas are coming up
Garlic is growing
Shallots are growing
Green Onions are coming up
Slicing Onion sets have been planted
Snow peas in the greenhouse are almost up to the roof!
We've been munching on radishes, lettuce and spinach from the greenhouse (so has the goose - I spoil her!)

The goats escaped on Sunday, but ran up to the car like a couple of labradors when we pulled in the driveway. They crawled under the eight foot fence that surrounds their pen. The breach has been stopped and they seem content (for the moment) to be back where they belong. Soon, they will have a nice little pasture to share with the poultry and our garden and flower beds will be safe.

The eggs in the school incubator project have 5 more days to go. Only 3 out of 24 didn't develop (we call those yolkers!) We are waiting to see how many hatch. The guinea eggs will have one extra week to go.

The ducklings and goslings should be arriving today or tomorrow. Keep on the lookout for overly cute pictures soon!

Oh, and there's more good news, but I'll have to wait. I'm being naughty and writing from my "prison", OOPS! I mean "office."

Strolling around the farm

Today's walk found trout lilies beginning to bloom. I imagine if we get the rain that is forcasted more will start poking up all around. Normally around this time, the ground is covered with them by the creek. I also noticed maples, the slippery elm and spicebush are blooming. I love spring (even if it's not yet sprung).

Things are a popping

What's growing under lights:

• Sweet Dakota Rose Watermelon (that's it up there)


• Sugar Baby Watermelon


• Lots of Tomatoes (I've listed those)


• Long Island Brussel Sprouts


• Cheddar Cauliflower


• Florence Fennel


• Sweet Basil


• Candytuft (a nice groundcover perennial)

Then there's all the stuff I did on Saturday at the Organic Grower's School in the propagation workshop. Rhododendren, Azalea, Ninebark, Ivy, Buckeye, and Dogwood are all in flats or pots. I thought the propagation class would be on vegetables, but it dealt with woody ornamentals for the most part. That's fine, but that's what I know - trees and shrubs... My experience is mostly with tropical trees from my Peace Corps days, so it was a nice refresher course on propagation techniques. My afternoon class was on landscaping with edibles. I now have a giant list of proven varieties to plant. I was sad to hear that cherries are difficult to grow in our mountain climate, but not impossible. Luckily, it seems I innadvertently planted the varieties that do best here. How's that for dumb luck?

In the garden:

The garlic is thriving and the peas are starting to poke up. This week the cabbage and broccoli starts will go in the garden. Now I've got to head off to work. I'm counting down the days until my contract ends - May 31. I feel a little like a graduating senior... Soon I'll have all summer to spend in the garden (and blog).

Arrr! I'm a pirate

Marie goes from lap turkey to parrot...

Please ignore my pastiness. It's March and I've been under the weather for the last couple of weeks... Of course, while I've been sick and otherwise overwhelmed with work, discord has been brewing in the barnyard.

"That damn turkey gets all the attention!"

"We find it best just to ignore her, honking only encourages her..."

Actually no poultry feelings were hurt in the creating of this entry. We were all just enjoying a rather chilly, but sunny Sunday afternoon.

Anticipation

Today we are loading the incubator with two dozen eggs. In 21 days, hopefully, we'll have a new batch of chicks! A few days after that, the guinea keets (there are only a few eggs) will hatch. Keep your fingers crossed.

It's time to get growing

March 1st is the magic date for peas to go into the ground around here. Today Charlie put the first row of Wando peas in the ground. He also finally removed the tomato stakes and put them in new rows. We tossed some onion sets into the ground yesterday for green onions. I would have helped more outside today, but I'm a little under the weather with a respitory evil.

We also started flats of leeks - Giant Musselburgh, and tomatoes - Black Prince, Cherokee Purple, Kentucky Beefsteak, Principe Borghese, Roma, Spears Tennessee Green and Stupice, and peppers - Alma Paprika, Ancho/Poblano San Luis and Golden Marconi.

In the ground and growing already are winter-overed shallots and garlic.

I'm counting down the days until our last frost date.

Catching my breath

I've been up to my armpits with work (feeling under the weather hasn't helped either) and I'm sorry if you've been looking for farm updates or other things of interest. I've just been too overwhelmed with life in general to write a word.

In the middle of re-enrollments, faculty contracts, state inspections, testing, new student recruitment and all the other fun things that have been coming my way (like interviews for new jobs where I'm not the boss of everything...) I've had one excessively odd and fun job - the hunt for Sandy the Hamster. I'm not sure if I've mentioned Sandy before. She is Monkey's class hamster. She comes to stay at our house every school holiday and we are very fond of the fat little rodent.

Sandy has developed a rather annoying habit of late. She's become a successful escape artist. On past occasions it's been easy to track her. She leaves gaudy little piles of beads and seeds behind toilets or shelves. On her last escape at school (she doesn't escape at our house) I found her dozing behind a toilet plunger with a hoard of dried beans she pilfered from one of the pre-school rooms.

Sandy's latest escape has left us a little dumbfounded and frustrated. The teachers and students have been looking for her daily. She's managed to elude our searches. She escaped last Tuesday and we are saddened (no really, there has been weeping from the 4 year old quarter) that she's still on the loose. At first we found her normal piles of beads and a few marbles, not to mention hamster poop... But the trail grew cold last week and we thought all was lost. In our search for Sandy we've found lots of things we thought lost and gone forever, but no fat hamster.

On a more cheerful note, today I found a sign that she's been hanging out in one of the preschool rooms (a nice tidy pile of hamster poop and colored rice behind the math shelf). So my search continues with new zest; a welcome change from being chained to my desk. I am the official Montessori Hamster Hunter. I'll keep you posted.

Waiting for weather

As the person "in charge" at school I worry when a parent who happens to a meteorologist (married to a meteorologist) stops by my office and cheerfully says, "See you Monday!". That was yesterday. Today I'm waiting for a big ol' winter storm to arrive. The school day has been cancelled because the threat of a storm exists.

I grew up in the Midwest. Winter was the time for snow and ice. Here, in the South, winter weather is a major news event and all things shut down before the first flake falls. All schools are closed in anticipation of a storm. I will admit that I've seen the radar and listened to reports and this storm is big. Flights were cancelled in anticipation yesterday. The forecast is several inches of snow, followed by ice. Road crews, power crews and kids with sleds are ready. I'll keep you posted.

Oh and the bad thing about being the principal - it may be a snow day, but I still have to get up at 5:00 to check weather, cancel school and make sure everyone knows about it. Being the boss is not such fun...

Confessions of a Seed Catalog Junkie

I have stopped. I promise. No more ordering of seeds. I cannot promise that I won't pick up a few packets here and there, but no more ordering. I really don't know what gets into me. But, I need them, I want them, I can't refuse them a place in my garden. It's too much really. And there are seeds to use from last year! My garden will be overflowing. Good thing for me that I've made new beds...(I promise that I am not grinning maniacally and rubbing my hands together in an all-together much too crazy fashion. Really).

I'm quite ready for spring. I even braved cold temperatures yesterday to be outside working. Yesterday afternoon it started to snow and today we have a snow day. Monkey and I have been enjoying the day by painting together, making crepes, and keeping the fire going. I've also been working on my garden notebook for this year by creating the plant pages. I've come up with a general information sheet, which I then use to copy the seed packet onto using the color copier in my office. I have plenty of room to write notes and can keep a copy of the seed packet nice and clean for future reference.

I've already started leeks. I was hoping to start some shallots from seed, but was informed they won't show up until March. Now that the leeks are thin little slivers of green on a sunny shelf in my office, I want to start more seeds. But I will be patient and wait a little while longer. I have started more in the greenhouse - arugula, radishes, mache, and a few potatoes that sprouted in the cupboard. What I love best about my seed habit, is trying new varieties and keeping old favorites. I'm glad that I saved a few of the Kirby's Whippoorwill field peas from Bakers Creek because there were none to be had this year. I'll just have to save my own seeds to keep that one coming. So much promise in such a little thing. I'm an addict, all right.

Augustus/Augusta

It would seem that Augustus is really Augusta. I found the evidence tonight, ending weeks of speculation.

That's it, up there on the left. It's almost as big as my palm. Definitely a goose egg. The speckled one on the right is a turkey egg I believe.

And I promise, no more egg pictures! (Well, maybe one when the duck finally lays a egg).

And really, she's a beautiful girl. You can't really tell in the photo, but her eyes are the most beautiful blue!

I've marked my calendar

The Organic Growers School is March 10. I can't wait!

It's the little things

One of the things that makes gardening so enjoyable is taking time to notice the minute things that happen in a day. Take this snow pea. It poked its way out of the soil only a few days ago. It's growing and each day it will push a little farther. In no time with the help of a small trellis, it will reach up toward the ceiling of the greenhouse.

I spent a couple of hours in the greenhouse today. Outside the sun is shining, but the wind is quite cold. The sun warmed the interior of the greenhouse to a toasty 70 degrees. I moved and filled pots. The sun moved across the sky hanging behind the woods to the south. Long shadows from the bare trees criss-crossed the floor of the greenhouse. In a few short weeks it will shift far enough north to be over the trees. I watched the chickens scratch in the garden and around the lawn. The ducks and goose took a dip in the fish pond, then came down to see what I was up to. I tossed them the lettuce seedlings I had been thinning.

I generally cloister myself during the winter months. I venture out to take care of the animals, but don't want to spend too much time outside in the cold. My body doesn't really handle cold too well. I feel that I miss a lot in the winter. But no more! I soaked up sunshine alongside the peas and lettuce. I have to say that the greenhouse is the best gift I've ever received.

And in the greenhouse...

A mix of Asian greens.

Look what I found!

The first guinea egg! Now what?

Plotting the plots

Seed catalogs arrive in hordes each day. How can I say "no" to so many delicious possibilities? I've stopped the frenzied ordering. I'll just sit back (on my hands, so I can't order more) and await the arrival of seed packets.

I ordered most of my tomatoes from Baker Creek again this year. Last year they germinated so well and grew big and somehow managed to stay healthy. I've added Principe Borghesi, for sun-drying. Jamie inspired me. And speaking of inspiration - Liz's talk of growing her own paprika induced me to order not one, but two varieties of paprika for my own garden this year.

I've grown quite brave (foolish?). I'm trying several new things this year - leeks, kohlrabi, fennel and jicama for the sheer silly hell of it. I'm sticking with favorites in the tomato, potato, bean, pea, cucumber and carrot realms with a few new varieties thrown in for adventure - you know - red carrots, french cornichons, yellow mangel beets, russian banana fingerling potatoes...
Maybe I'll find a few new favorites.

Everything is up and growing in the greenhouse. I insulated the lower walls with bubble wrap. The spring-like, unnatural weather is helping to keep the heating bills down. Soon I'll be starting seeds and planting more pots to harvest early. We should have baby lettuce ready for harvesting in a week or two. I love to be inside where it smells of earth and damp. The goose and turkeys take turns posturing in front of their reflections. They must wonder why the birds in the greenhouse never come outside. Gigi sits outside the door with a ball in her mouth. It's torture for her.

The weather is torturing me because I know it will turn.

Home Again

We had a little holiday. Monkey and I went to the National Aquarium and enjoyed a day of fish watching. We then took off to the wilds of Virginia and enjoyed a weekend of doing absolutely nothing. Nothing is a good thing to do.

I've spent the last several weeks scouring seed catalogs and spent my first evening home ordering lots of promise for the spring and summer. More on that later.

She was a good dog

Chelsea, the Grande Dame of Little Creek Farm

1993-2007

photo by the monkey, Christmas 2006