Our garden was becoming over run with weeds . So Dude got out the rototiller and went at it ! 

Here are some garden pictures.

I did make a trade with my neighbor to the south of us. He gave me a couple of heads of lettuce for about 10 stawberry plants. 

Grapes

Strawberries

Raspberries

We got alot done today.  It was warm and the heavy winds from yesterday died down quite a bit.   The winds were wild yesterday, they were the kind that  are all over the place and so violent that you really can't do anything. The bees didn't even bother to come out.

Today - Planted some rose bushes, a hanging strawberry plant that some school kid talked me into buying (let's see how well it does, the hanging tomatoes last year were a bomb), and I planted purple potatoes.  My brother-in-law suggested I start them in a tire and then as they grow add another tire, cover with dirt, and add another. I had a nice warm and sunny spot behind the dog house so I figured I'd give it a try.

The biggest headache of the day was the water pump out by the chicken coop. We had turned it off during the winter and decide today was the day it was going back on. We should have known something was amiss when we turned it and the chickens came running.  They then froze in place.  I thought they were feeling the earth move of huge earthworm but then they backed up and the ground collapsed!  A little piece of pvc about 4feet below had broken.  We spent the day digging it out and going to find a store open on Easter that had the little piece we needed to replace.  Let's hope this works this time!

Pictures in the photo albums. 

PS glad to hear friends in California are well.  Also family in AZ felt the quake too today.

Finally a sunny day.  I was able to get out in the garden.

Trimmed the roses, apple tree, mint plants.  Transplanted the chives into a large pot. Planned peas along the fence, iris in the pond, butter crunch lettuce, romaine lettuce and red cabbage.  Oh and moved the compost.

The fish and bees also enjoyed getting out today.

Here is Hoover and Bubba:

Hoover, Kirby, Dyson and Bubba -

Lettuces and cabbage

Bees cleaning house -

Bring out your dead

Home it is mud, mud, mud.... I hate this season of dirt and rain. We have had snow on the ground since October and where there isn't snow there is mud!! We have been enjoying 50* weather the last couple of days and looks like a couple of more. But by Wednesday rain/snow is forecasted again. It really gets me to thinking about what and how I want our garden to look this year. The chickens have been doing their part by fertilizing all winter. Come spring, they will go back into an extended pen area for them and back out in the gardens in the fall. I finally ordered some rubber boots! I can't wait until they get it!

We got three more baby chicks yesterday. They are Ameriaucana , the ones that lay the blue and green eggs. They are adorable and don't seem as dumb as the first ones we had (just an observation). These are alert and personable. They come right up to you and hold a small peep of a conversation with you instead of shaking and being timid in the corner. These also don't fall asleep in mid-stride like the others. They have glorious, flamboyant markings - almost like tribal tattoos. I will need names for these little gems. Hmmm - Born around March 1st. Will need to look up the significance of that day for clue to their names.